Vessel For Two
by Hiei-Riku-RubedoFAN
Summary: REVAMP AND REWRITE The revival of an old foe causes Lloyd and Company to scramble in an attempt to protect the world once more, but find it a little harder this time around considering they have children to worry about now. The only thing they seem to understand is that a new ally could be the very key to keeping everything they hold near and dear safe, or destroying it all.
1. Lloyd The Eternal Trouble Seeker

**After going back and rereading this, I have decided to rewrite it completely. I destroyed the game in my opinion. The characters were too far OOC that it made me want to bash my head into a wall and also, I would like to continue this story. In order to continue, I need a strong base. So I am rewriting everything. I hope you enjoy this new version. I will be redoing the chapters one by one, before I continue. I hope that some people are still giving this one a chance.**

_**-Chapter Start-**_

_**Chapter 1: Lloyd, Eternal Trouble Seeker**_

It was just after sunrise. The little house that Lloyd Irving had grown up, still stood in its peaceful little setting, just a short walk from Iselia. Five years had passed since the Journey for Regeneration and quite a few things had changed. For one, the house itself was little bigger, now that Lloyd and Colette were living there with the old dwarf. The two had gotten married and decided that it was the perfect place to relax. Dirk had been all too happy to oblige. Soon after, father and son had soon set to work on rebuilding and adding on; just to make things a little more comfortable. Most of the construction had taken place in the past four months, after Colette dropped a bomb that made Lloyd nearly pass out from hearing. She was expecting and Lloyd was going to be a father.

That was why, this particularly earlier morning, Lloyd was going about the house as quietly as he could looking for his Flamberge and Varpol swords. He had grown to be quite the strong young man and in fact, he was proud to admit, looked much like his biological father, Kratos Aurion. In honor of his father, Lloyd had found an outfit that looked similar to his father's but had a flair of his own style. He still dressed in red, and while this uniform had no cape, it still had the tassels that he wore from the journey before. Altogether, it seemed like he had merged the two outfits together and them added a few modifications to suit his liking. Lloyd's brown hair had grown considerably and now laid in a fashion almost identical to Kratos', however Lloyd was determined to keep the bangs from his face. Currently the swordsman had found his weapons and was in a chair, tying his boots while he thought over his latest predicament.

Truth be told, they were somewhat short on money. With a baby along the way, Lloyd was not foolish enough to believe that they could just make by and he would not burden Frank or Dirk by asking them to support his family. So, in order to provide for his family, the Eternal Swordsman had taken a job in Triet, to rid them of certain monster problem that had taken five lives already and was scaring many others away from the town. So, determined to get this over and done with as quickly as he could, Lloyd stood and strapped his weapons to his side. Yet just as he was about to retrieve his travel pack, he unluckily tripped over a wooden figurine that crashed into the table causing a horrific racket. As the swordsman laid on the ground, he thanked Martel that Colette had gone to Iselia to visit the Sage siblings the day before. He would not have to explain his actions and would hopefully return before she had the chance to miss him. Then there was Dirk.

A sound off to the side, caused the brunette to look over and found himself staring into the suspicious eyes of said dwarf. Then he saw something else. In his father's hands, was his traveling pack. Lloyd could only sigh, "Caught.

"So where ya be goin' this fin morning?" Dirk asked plainly.

"Listen dad. We're gonna have a baby to look after soon as we don't have a lot of money. So I'm going into Triet to take a job to clear up a little monster problem they have. It's good money and from the sound of it, I should be able to handle it. I need you to go into Iselia and stay with Colette until I'm back. Don't let her know where I've gone ok?" Lloyd quickly explained to his father, hoping he would understand.

"Not even a father yet an' already orderin' me 'round," Dirk growled softly shaking his head as he watched his adopted son pick himself off the ground. He smiled somewhat before reluctantly handing over the bag saying, "Fin, but you better be gettin' back soon."

"Thanks dad!" Lloyd said, relieved as he ran past his father.

Dirk watched him go as unease began to swell in his chest soon after hearing his son take off. Then he turned his attention to the figurine that his son had tripped over, which turned out to be of the foe they had worked so hard to defeat before, Yggdrasill. As he turned the wooden figurine over in his hands, he came to a stop on the eyes. There was a flash. They seemed to be alive. Staring at him in disdain. Hating his very existence. Then it was over as soon as it came. Dirk shook his head, "Old dwarf, yer eyes are playin' tricks. You've been on the wretched surface for too long."

After placing the figure on the shelf where it belonged, Dirk went about cleaning the house until he knew for a fact that the people of Iselia would be going about their daily routines. It was then he shuffled toward the town, trying to explain away the sense of dread that had befallen him. He walked in silence and was only drawn from his thoughts when he reached the gates of Iselia. There was a group standing just inside the entrance and upon further inspection he quickly ran through their names in his head. Colette stood in the middle with her usually smile on her face and she was surrounded by Sheena, Zelos, Regal, Presea, Genis, Yuan, and Raine who was holding a small blue haired child in her arms.

It was the child in Raine's arms that was the first to spot Dirk. Her eyes were calm and she inspected the dwarf carefully, obviously trying to figure out what he was doing there. She had her mother's face, but possessed her father's hair and piercing eyes. Firk shivered at the girl and could already see, despite her young age, she would grow to be a formidable opponent, just like both of her parents. Meanwhile, Regal stood a little bit off to the side of the group, no longer wearing the shackles he once had and dressed in clothing befitting the President of the Lorenzo Company. Sheena was dressed in an outfit resembling what she had worn on the Journey of Regeneration but it seemed more refined and almost passable for both Mizuho as well as being the wife of a noble. Zelos…Zelos hadn't changed much. Meanwhile Presea and Genis stood side by side, hand in hand, quite the happy couple. All the while, they were focused on Colette who had no doubt explained to them her current predicament of expecting her children.

"What be all this 'bout? Is a dwarf not to know 'bout anythin' nowadays?" Dirk asked as he came closer to them. This jostled them from their conversation and they all turned to face him as he came to a stop. Dirk's heart plummeted. There was the same dread and unease he felt, reflected back in their eyes. Something was wrong.

"Hi Dirk!" Colette chirped clapping her hands together as she normally would. She smiled at him and continued, "We were just coming up to see you. Is Lloyd back at the house?"

"Yeah we wanted to see 'daddy,'" Genis snickered mischievously. Dirk merely smiled, glad to see that their friendship was still quite intact. Lloyd needed someone like Genis to keep him from getting into too much trouble.

"Well, Lloyd went to go take care of a few things. He should be back in a couple o' days," Dirk answered calmly, wishing he hadn't allowed his son to go in the first place. He had heard about this creature that Lloyd was going to face. It was said to be beyond the skills of any swordsman and unbeatable. So of course, Lloyd had to go fight it. Dirk blamed Kratos in that aspect, his genes were surely what drove his son to act that way.

"Would these things he's going to take care of, include a monster problem that has turned up in Triet?" Raine asked as she eyed the dwarf suspiciously. She shifted her daughter lightly in her arms, receiving and annoyed glanced from the two year-old. The female half-elf looked Dirk dead in the eyes, daring him not to tell her the truth.

"Aye, that he is," Dirk sighed in defeat. Lloyd wasn't going to be happy with him for giving that up so easily.

"That creature is a large black skeleton that we all had fought on our prior journey. It's a dangerous foe called the "Sword Dancer." It was so formidable that it gave us quite a bit of trouble. It would seem that someone has brought it back and whoever did, is a very skilled mage," Regal explained causing the dwarf to feel even worse about the situation.

"What's even more troubling is that no one we know did it…" Genis continued shaking his head worriedly.

"After searching the Renegade database, I've found that there can only be one person who had enough power to do it, aside from our present company," Yuan stated causing everyone in attendance to visibly pale. Dirk looked between them all and had a sense of where it was going. The one person who always seemed to be the cause of all their trouble, "It would seem that its Mith…It's a Yggdrasill. He's returned."

"That means Lloyd-" Sheena began to gasp but Colette vigorously shook her head.

"We don't know that, Sheena! We have to hope-" the blonde was cut off in that instant when those more sensitive to mana sensed a disturbance overhead. Everyone looked to the sky to see a comet like thing covered in a purple aura shooting across the sky and soaring straight toward the Martel Temple where it would seem to crash into the ground. Yuan's eyes grew wide and he stammered out, "Kr-Kr-Kratos?!"

"Let's go check it out!" Sheena called out as she made to lead the group until Zelos' hand shot out and gently wrapped around her arm. In one fluid motion he spun her back toward him and held her close as he brought out his angelic wings saying, "I'd feel better if you stayed behind, my sweet hunny. After all, we can't let our own kid get hurt."

With that he took off and led the charge toward the temple with Yuan close on his heels. In the meantime, Raine placed her own child in Sheena's capable hands and they left the two pregnant women and child safe inside the confines of Iselia. Under Dirk's careful watch no less.

No words were spoken as they all ran. Thoughts whirled through each of their heads, but few were able to fully comprehend them at that point. It wasn't until they reached the top of the temple stairs that their minds seemed to catch up to their bodies. There lying on the ground before them was in fact Kratos. He was unconscious and clearly worn and beaten. Whatever had happened to him prior to him falling from the sky had put him in the perilous balance between life and death. The auburn haired fighter was barely breathing and Yuan could see that the mana was flowing freely out of his body. Thus the half-elf darted forward and began to give him some of his own mana once again to stable his life force.

"De ja vu," Zelos stated seriously as Raine stepped forward to aid in the healing process as well. He looked around at the others who numbly nodded in confirmation. Then he turned to the two half-elves trying to heal him and asked, "Do you think the old man's gonna make it?"

"This is quite similar to him releasing all the mana from his body at Origin's seal, except this time, he is much further along. I can't be sure, but Kratos was never one to die without a fight…except when Lloyd was involved," Yuan answered carefully as he focused on his friend. Raine continued as well and soon they stepped back, having done all they could do. While his clothes were still disheveled the Seraph's wounds were healed and seemed as though he was breathing somewhat easier. The group was at a loss for what to do next.

"Perhaps we should take him into town. He could rest there?" Regal suggested stepping forward while the others wordlessly consented. However, before he could get much closer to the swordsman, Kratos let out a soft groan while his eyes slowly opened. He waited for the world to swim into focus around him before he slowly pushed himself into a sitting position.

"W…what…where?" the mercenary seemed at a genuine loss for words. He then noticed the group standing around him and shook his head, "How did I get here?"

"I don't know my friend, but it's good to have you back," Yuan answered as he moved forward and helped the reluctant swordsman to his feet. Kratos looked around wearily and shook his head trying to clear his thoughts.

"Derris Kharlan was nearing the point when it was out of reach of this world and I was alerted to a new…mana signature manifesting itself in the spot where the Tower of Salvation once stood. When I attempted to investigate it I was…ambushed…and…ugh."

It seemed as though he had not yet fully recovered as he leaned forward and held his head. Raine moved forward and Zelos shook his head as he said, "Don't over exert yourself old man. Bud would kill us if we allowed you to hurt yourself."

"Lloyd…where is he?" Kratos asked, slowly returning to his old self. He managed to step away from Yuan and stand on his own. His sharp eyes focused on the group and said, "I remember that during the ambush I was told that my son would be next on the chopping block. I had to get here and…"

"We saw how that turned out," Yuan stated causing Kratos to fall silent once more. Yet before anything else could be said, they suddenly heard a shout that caused Zelos to lose absolutely all the color in his face. That voice sounded like the exact kunoichi and cheiftan that he had married and was currently carrying his unborn child. The red-head spun on his heel and shot toward the source of the sound.

_**-Chapter End-**_

**Well, that's the first chapter edited. Ten more to go before I can continue with this story.**


	2. The Enemy

**Ok. I'm beginning to like redoing this story. I had some great ideas, just was too immature to approach them adequately. On with the new chapter. I hope you all enjoy, for those who may be rereading or those who are now redoing the story.**

_**-Chapter Start-**_

_**Chapter 2: The Enemy**_

"What the hell is going on?!"

Those with angelic hearing immediately knew the voice to be Sheena. It was the next sounds that they heard that caused both Yuan and Zelos to curse under their breath as they leapt into action. He jumped off the top of the stairs with his wings emerging from his back and immediately swooped down to see at the bottom of the stairs stood Colette, Raine's two year old, and Sheena who were surrounded by a pack of large, uncharacteristically anger wolves. The pack advanced on the three and Sheena stood on the frontlines with her cards at the ready. One wolf came too close, but as she went to hit it, the creature caught her off balance and caused her to fall on her ass. Zelos' anger flared and he descended on the pack. First bashing the closest two his shield and then calling forth a strong Light Spear the effectively put two of the canines down permanently. As soon as he was sure that he had a second reprieve he rounded on his spouse, "What are you doing here, Sheena?! Why aren't you in Iselia where it's safe?!"

Caught somewhat off-guard from her spouse's anger she shook her head and blushed as she said, "Iselia is under attack from monsters! Colette and I barely managed to get Ula outta there in time! Would you have rather us have stayed there?!"

"We don't have time for that. Let's move!" Yuan suddenly snapped appearing at Colette's side, with his wings twitching anxiously. Zelos looked up and saw that Kratos was casting Judgment and Genis was casting Meteor Storm. Zelos wrapped his arms around his spouse and Yuan snatched up Colette and his two year old. The angelic beings flew away and lifted them into the air with ease while the two magic users cast their spells. Both spells effectively destroyed the pack or at least sent the survivors running with their tails between their legs. Zelos and Yuan hovered over the scene until the magic had completely ceased and then gently lowered the females into the middle of the group. Ula immediately clung to her father and Zelos for the first time, seemed truly on edge. Colette however turned her attention to Kratos.

"It's good to see you again, Kratos!" she chirped with a small smile on her face. Kratos did something quite uncharacteristic. He smiled.

"Thank you, Colette," then he turned his attention to the rest of the group, "Unfortunately, we don't have time to merrymaking. It would indeed seem that Yggdrasill has in some way revived and is beginning to exact his revenge. We need to get to Iselia and try to save the town. After that, I need to speak with Lloyd."

"Hopefully, we can get to Bud before Yggy does," Zelos said shaking his head, trying to return to his usual self, but was still unnerved that Sheena had nearly been turned into dog food. The ninja could see that she had visibly shaken her spouse and tried to console him the best she could. Meanwhile, the rest of the group had gathered their senses and soon were off to save Iselia from possible destruction.

_**-Meanwhile in the Triet Desert just out of sight of the Town-**_

Lloyd leapt back, just dodging the falling Sword Dancer. The creature crashed to the ground causing sand to burst through the air and Lloyd lost his footing as well and getting sand in his eyes. He fell hard on his back and struggled to clear his sight while the sand began to settle around him. No further sounds came from the monster he had just been fighting and the swordsman was almost positive that he had effectively finished it. Once he was able to see, Lloyd huffed in aggravation as he got to his feet and dusted the sand from himself. He eyed the Sword Dancer suspiciously, almost expecting it to jump to its feet once again, before retrieving his swords from its skull and sheathed them while the creature faded away back to where it belonged.

"How did that thing come back? I thought we beat it to a pulp before?" Lloyd muttered grudgingly as he rolled his shoulder back into place. After sighing and wiping the sweat from his brow, Lloyd took notice of the sun's position in the sky and realized just how long he had been gone. His heart dropped and was sure that by now, they had noticed his absence or somehow forced Dirk to give it away. He was bound to get a lecture from Genis when he got back to Iselia and not doubt since Professor Sage was there, she'd sink her teeth into him as well. Shaking his head he said, "I better go get the money from Triet and then head home. At least I'll have something to show for this."

The Eternal swordsman began to make his way towards the town when suddenly, the wind picked up once again whipping sand into his eyes. Lloyd struggled to clear his eyes once again, but realized that he had other problems. It was like the ground from beneath his feet was moving and not in ways that normal sand should. Though he could still not see, he focused on keeping his footing and straining his new found angelic senses for anything that would be coming his way while he was vulnerable.

"You will die!" an infuriated voice roared from all around him causing his eardrums to pound. Lloyd gasped in surprise and finally managed to clear his eyes while he reached for his blades. Just as his fingers wrapped around the hilts of the blades, an electric attack slammed right into the middle of his shoulder blades. His body's first response was to instantly shut down. The swordsman hit the ground like a ton of bricks and was barely able to stay conscious. It was almost exactly like what happened when Yuan had first sent the Renegades to kidnap him. Damn it! Why had he fallen for the same trap twice?!

Then something new happened…the ground beneath him disappeared and Lloyd was aware that he was falling. It was like the world around him was changing and all that he could see was nothing but darkness all around him. He struggled to control his breathing and gasped, "What…what's going on?!"

"Oh hell," a voice said from directly beneath him. Then he felt his body crash on top of another body. There was an annoyed grunt and still unable to recover from the shock his body had sustained, Lloyd felt the other person squirm out from beneath him. By the end of it, they were huffing in aggravation and this new figure stood over him, inspecting the newcomer. Lloyd watched helplessly as the figure pushed back their hood to reveal a young looking female with shoulder length silver hair that was streaked with natural red highlights. Yet, what Lloyd found himself staring at was her eyes. They were blood red, and didn't seem to have any pupils. There was a scar that ran down her right cheek, starting from her cheekbone then ending at the end of her chin, and it was clear that she had elf blood in her. She word a red sleeveless shirt, and red shorts that were then layered underneath with beige leggings. Her clothes were then adorned with what seemed to be runes and elven markings.

"Who…where-" Lloyd tried to ask but his voice died in the back of his throat.

"Hush and just rest," came her cold reply. Almost immediately, Lloyd fell unconscious and the girl was left to growl, "Damn…Yggdrasill really came back…"

_**-At the Endangered Iselia-**_

"Noishe! Come!" Kratos commanded as a horde of Zombie monsters made their way toward his daughter-in-law and Yuan's daughter Ula. This angered the swordsman and he soon shot forward, quickly slaying them all one right after another; cutting through their ranks like they were made of nothing but paper. When he was done, he turned to see that despite the monsters and his usual fear, Noishe faithfully appeared right beside Colette and the two year-old. Kratos quickly made his way over to him and placed his hand on the protozoan's head, "Thank you old friend. When this is over, I'll give you dragon bone for your efforts."

Noishe barked in response.

"Good boy, now get Colette and Ula to Dirk's house. Stay there until we come to get you," Kratos said as he helped the blonde onto Noishe's back. Then he handed her Ula and they were soon off, no doubt Noishe was happy to avoid further confrontation with the monsters. Kratos turned around just in time to see Sheena running from a large Golem that was chasing her and he immediately dove in to help, seeing as Zelos was pinned back by some of the wolves from earlier and unable to aid her. Meanwhile Raine was staying close to Yuan who was likewise battling rampant wolves. Yet the blue haired half-elf noticed that Raine was watching him and in that moment, he caught four different wolves on the edge of his weapon and with a powerful thrust, launched them into four more wolves. Thus all eight wolves were sent crashing into the side of the school from the force of the blow.

"Funny, Yuan," Kratos stated as he stood back-to-back with his hold friend. He glanced back over his shoulder and continued, "You're fighting becomes a bit flashy when Raine is around, I've noticed."

"No different from when Anna watched you fight," Yuan countered with a smirk.

"Touché," Kratos responded with a slight nod of the head. Then the two of them drove forward in their respective directions to continue pushing the enemies back. Meanwhile the sky was alight with the countless spells that were cast. The call of Lighting Blade, Grave, Ray and Spread cut through the air making the setting sun seem almost unimportant to the combatants. Enough light was given from the magic and sparks that were flying through the air. It was only luck that Dirk had aided in getting the people evacuated to safety and all that was left was ridding the town of the monsters that plagued it.

Suddenly Presea began spinning on her with her ax swinging out in front of her and with perfect timing, Genis used it as a launch pad. Once in the air, he threw his weapon over his head and cast, "Erupting-"

After waiting until the precise moment, Presea brought down her ac with all the power she could muster to finish their combined attack, "Devastation!"

Regal ran toward three Golems that were now making their way toward the recovering fighters and jumped to attack them as he shouted, Eagle Fall!"

"Man this really stinks. How many of these guys are there?" Zelos whined making his friends think back on the journey they all had shared. It would seem that some things would never change, but they were glad nonetheless as Zelos cast Grave, sending a group of Zombies and Wolves back away from them giving them the chance to breathe.

"These enemies seem to have been flushed out of hiding and are running rampant. Perhaps, Yggdrasill did this to wear us down?" Presea mused thoughtfully as she took a moment to regain her breath. At that moment, a large Golem started bearing down on her and was ready to attack. It was Genis who suddenly ran forward and threw the pink haired girl out of the way, taking the hit himself. There was enough force to slam him into the side of the school and splinters rained all around him as he crashed through the wall.

"Genis!" Raine called out desperately as her heart leapt to her throat. Seeing her distress, Kratos and Yuan cleared the way for her to reach her brother and then watched her back, keeping any enemies from ambushing the siblings. Raine fell to her knees beside her brother's motionless side and cast, "Revitalize!"

At first, Genis didn't move. It didn't even seem like he was breathing. Tears began to burn the rims of Raine's eyes as she whispered, "Come on, Genis. Don't die."

"Nngh," a soft grunt could be heard. Despite the spell that had been cast, Genis was still in bad shape, but he had the strength to open his eyes and say, "I'm alright…sis."

"Damn," Zelos muttered as he quickly ran to Sheena's side and pushed her toward Genis and Raine, "Go watch after the twerp. You know this is getting bad when he gets hurt…C'mon Lloyd. Where could you be?"

The black haired kunoichi dashed over to the siblings while Presea, Regal, Kratos, Zelos, and Yuan all created a wall against the opposing monsters that were making their way toward them. They were beginning to wear down, but it seemed like their enemies were also falling in numbers. Presea noted this as well and said, "Perhaps it would be in our best interests for Zelos, Kratos, and Yuan to cast Judgement in unison while Regal and I take out what's left."

"That plan sounds as good as any. Ready?" Zelos agreed and looked over to the other two who would be working with in. In unison they all nodded and set to work, chanting in unison while the other two fighters prepared to drive straight through what remained.

_**-Meanwhile With Lloyd in the Other Dimension-**_

When Lloyd suddenly came to, the first thing he was aware of was his aching neck. He groaned and opened his eyes to see the same girl from before with her back against a wall breathing hard. Sweat was dripping down the side of her face and it would seem that she had moved him from the area they had previous met in. Noticing that he was awake, the female turned to look at him and with her hood down, and his eyes somewhat cleared of the sand, he got an even better look at her. The scar across the side of her face flared something in his memory and Lloyd cringed at the mere sight of it. He could tell by the slight mana he could sense from her that she was a half-elf, but like the Sage siblings looked more full-blooded than anything else. The swordsman slowly pushed himself into a sitting position and looked around. What he saw before him reminded him of the ruins that Luin once stood in after the Desians had attacked.

"Who-"

"Shush!" she whispered desperately but flinched when the ground began shaking beneath them in a very strange sort of rhythm. It was almost like…walking…like something very large was making its way toward them. The female's face fell and she growled, "They found us."

Before the Eternal Swordsman could even ask what she meant, she jumped to her feet and unsnapped a pair of chakram from her hips. She leapt into the air over the fallen wall and Lloyd scrambled to get a better look. His eyes grew wide when he saw her single handedly face off against two enemies that seemed to be like the Dragons he had fought before. The only difference with these creatures were that they seemed to be covered in darkness. In minutes, she brought the creatures down and landed nearby with her weapons safely back on her hips. At first she seemed a little weary and stumbled when she finally got to her feet once more. Lloyd slowly made his way over to her, still feeling unstable himself and steadied her while he asked, "Are you alright?"

"Fine…just tired…Is…your name Lloyd?" she asked looking at him curiously. Lloyd was taken aback. Not only did this woman look like she was about to collapse right in front of him, but she knew his name?! What was going on?

"Give me your name and I shall give you mine," he retaliated calmly.

"Heh…you are indeed your father's son," she laughed weakly with a smile. She straightened up and gently shrugged off his helping arm while saying, "I heard him say that once or twice before…My name is Gemini…but just call me Gem."

"You know my father?" Lloyd was stunned. Who was this woman?

"Listen, I understand your confusion, but we don't have a lot of time for explanations right now. Your family is in danger and we have to get you back to them. Otherwise…Yggdrasill is going to do something horrible."

"What do you mean?" Lloyd hissed uncharacteristically as his eyes narrowed. This half-elf seemed to know too much and this caused him to have a sense that she was dangerous.

"I understand your concern, but you have to trust me. I'm the only one who can get you out of this place now," Gem responded calmly. She crossed her arms and said, "We are both currently locked away in an alternate dimension that I created. I was banished here the second you destroyed Yggdrasill's Cruxis Crystal. Originally, I had made this place for him when I was a part of their organization. I'll explain more later, but the point is that I know how to get us out of here. I just don't have the strength to do it myself."

The brunette merely stared at her. Every logical thought in his mind told him not to trust this new female and the fact that she blatantly admitted to being in league with Yggdrasill angered him, but then again, so had his father and Yuan once. Though, as he continued to look over her, he saw something that told him, he needed to trust her. A flicker in her eye that reminded him of something he couldn't exactly remember. A feeling that he once knew. Lloyd sighed after thinking for a moment and said, "Alright, how can we get out of here. Although I'm skeptical that Yggdrasill has returned. It's been five years since we beat him."

Gemini's eyes widened, "Really? It's been five years? It only seems like I've been in here for five months…Anyway, there is a seam at the end of this dimension where all of the mana that supports this place is tied together. If we can get past the creatures that were set to guard it, we can destroy the seam and get out."

"Well, let's get going then!" Lloyd smiled as he punched his fist in the air. Gemini nodded and they quickly made their way down the path that Gemini pointed out. As they moved, Lloyd couldn't help but continue to stare at the woman. Something about her…seemed so familiar. It was like he knew her from somewhere. It didn't take long for Gemini to notice this.

"What are you staring at?" Gemini asked looking at him quizzically.

"Sorry…you just seem…familiar. Have I met you somewhere before?" Lloyd asked thoughtfully. This caused Gem to stiffed and stop in their advance. She stared hard at the ground and refused to make eye-contact with the dual swordsman. Needless to say, he was confused by her reaction. After a few minutes, he decided to let this matter slide and walked over to place his hand on her shoulder. She slowly looked up at him in surprise and he said, "Listen, we can talk about this when we get to Iselia. Right now, we need to work together if either of us wants to get home. I trust you…ok?"

At first she was stunned. How could he so easily allow his question to go unanswered? Why was he so willing to trust her when she refused to give him any information about herself, other than her name? The man that stood before her was a truly interesting being. Then again, that's exactly what she would expect considering who his parents were. So she hesitantly smiled at him and said, "Alright…and when we get back, I'll explain why I'm so familiar to you."

"Alright," Lloyd agreed as they set off once again. All the while, Gemini continued to look over him, thinking back on the last time she had seen her two true friends…and their beautiful, curious two year-old little boy.

_**-Chapter End-**_

**Well, this is going better than I thought. Nine more until I continue the story.**


	3. Destruction

**I hope everyone who is still reading this, though I don't know how many of you there are due to the fact that I am trying to get these chapters reposted as fast as I can, is liking the revamp. I personally think that it's going a lot smoother than the original storyline was and I am keeping most everything that people liked before and adding some new twists. Please enjoy. Also when I get back to writing it from scratch, I'll bring back the muses. Hehe.**

_**-Chapter Start-**_

_**Chapter 3: Destruction **_

Five months had passed since the attack on Iselia and Lloyd Irving's disappearance. The little down had suffered quite a bit of damage, but luckily there had been no casualties from the attack. Once the monsters had been beaten back, they all decided to work together to rebuild. Although many of the group had needed time to rest and recover from their injuries. Genis alone had been unable to get out of bed for a week from the shock he had sustained from being slammed into the school building. Colette and Sheena had gone about the town helping as many people as they could, doing small things and watching out for children. When Genis was finally up and moving around, he went out to Triet with Regal and Zelos in an attempt to look for Lloyd. When they returned, they had nothing but depressing news. The swordsman never returned to collect the money and they had in fact sent mercenaries out to look for him. The people of Triet sent the money back with Genis for Colette's sake.

The rebuilding of the town had been simple enough and once it was finished, the group decided that they would stay together for two different reasons. The first was that they wanted to be there for Colette until they could find where Lloyd had gone to. Raine had picked up teaching the school once again and Genis and Presea kept little Ula out of trouble. Yuan meanwhile stayed mostly at the Renegade base in an attempt to find out whatever he could. Anything about Lloyd, Yggdrasill, the mana disturbances that had been popping up all around their world. He would frequently drop in to check on his wife and daughter. Yet not matter what the Renegades did, no matter that they checked under every rock and behind every shadow, they couldn't find out anything. Meanwhile Regal worked closely with the Mayor setting up a defense plan, just in case they needed to protect the "Chosen." Meanwhile Sheena was doing her best to help Colette prepare for the baby and Kratos was doing his best to be there for his daughter-in-law, in a way that he had not been able to be there for Lloyd. This left Zelos pampering the two pregnant women and doing anything that they asked him to.

Of course being too helpful can lead to disaster as well. The poor red-haired swordsman had learned this the hard way while attempting to help them and ended up becoming the end of quite the humorous joke. One night we was carrying Sheena, Colette and Ula's dinners to them and little Ula had left her stuffed rabbit on the ground. Seeing as the noble was not used to manual labor such as that, he was already quite unbalanced and didn't manage to see the toy when he entered the room. The floppy ears were easy to get caught up in his feet and needless to say once he got tangled it wasn't long until he fell smack dab in the middle of the floor. His face was planted right into the middle of Sheena's plate of food while Colette's plate had fallen in his hair. Ula's plate on the other hand, landed right in front of her and her stuffed bunny landed right in the child's lap. She was tickled beyond belief at what just happened and the other two women shared a laugh before getting up to help the poor swordsman to his feet.

That night had been one of the rare occasions when Colette had come out of her state of sadness. Though she did her best to be happy for everyone, without Lloyd it was hard for her, and they often found her staring out at windows, waiting for the moment when the brown haired swordsman would return home. When she walked around town, she was often in a daze and could be found looking at Dirk's house. The dwarf had been taking odd jobs around the entire world in an attempt to get some money, just like his son had before he disappeared.

All were clearly on edge, including Noishe who would only leave Colette's side to check out sounds or reasons he could not help. It disturbed them all that Yggdrasill had yet to show himself even though he was clearly back in action. It didn't make any sense and they has the sneaking suspicion that the Seraph would make his appearance when the group was at their most vulnerable. Realistically, that time would be when Colette was most vulnerable; when she was giving birth. Unfortunately, that day wasn't too far off and still there was no sign of Lloyd.

One day, Sheena was slowly making her way toward the school, looking for where her husband might have wondered off too. It was no secret that all of them were on edge, but the usually laid back swordsman had lost much of his usual personality and it had been replaced with a serious that was not normal for him. It had worried her and she soon found the man sitting on top of the school roof staring out at the sky. The kunoichi smirked somewhat and in an attempt to cheer her husband up, she silently appeared on the roof and was about to pounce…well the best way that a woman with a baby bump could. However, Zelos waited until the last moment before getting to his feet and catching his wife in his arms and looked over her carefully saying, "Don't try it."

"Dang…forgot about your angelic hearing," Sheena smiled sheepishly at her spouse. When he didn't smile back, her own spirit fell to a degree. Despite his usual perverted actions and comments, Zelos was always able to make things seem a little lighter among the group, but he had fallen into silence as he dutifully tended to the people in his care. Soon they were sitting side by side, thinking over the things that had happened in the past six months. The female ninja shifted guiltily beside her husband as he said, "I feel bad. Being pregnant isn't easy, but I have you there to help me through…Lloyd is still missing and Colette…well, the way things are going now she's going to deliver alone…"

"Don't worry…Bud will come back. I know he wouldn't leave our little angel like that. He's too much of a nice guy," Zelos replied looking back out at the sky, almost as though Lloyd would just appear in the sky. Sheena took note in how distracted he was and realized that it was only a matter of time that they all began to break down from the stress. After all it wasn't just the fact that Lloyd was missing, but also that he had always been the best chance they had in fighting Yggdrasill and without him…Things didn't seem to look too good for them. Sheena only sighed.

"Should I be ready to fight if he shows up?" she asked uncertainly drawing him from his deep thoughts.

"Absolutely not! You're in no condition to fight and Colette is gonna need you there to help her through this," Zelos said suddenly turning to her and holding her gently by her shoulders. His bright blue eyes focused on her and for once, Zelos felt like he had someone he could actually help and protect. After all, he couldn't do what a brother should and keep his little sister Seles safe. Now he had a wife. Not only did he have her to protect, but his unborn child. He could give his life to keep them safe. No matter what. He swore that on the Wilder name. The red-haired swordsman placed his hand on her belly and in that moment, felt his little one kick. For the first time, he genuinely smiled and seemed to revert back to his normal self as he said, "After all, I can't let any harm come to my voluptuous hunny before she delivers a little chip of my block. Who am I gonna teach to woo the women without him?"

"…you're such a jerk sometimes," Sheena muttered shaking her head. Then they smiled and sat on the roof and looked out over the town. It was so deadly quiet that it seemed unnerving, but since the events five months ago, many of the villagers had fallen into the very same funk that had taken over Colette. They thought that since the worlds were reunited and the group had defeated the enemy, things would slowly get better, but sadly it seemed to be heading the other way entirely. No one could blame them however. Even the group of idealistic and optimists that had saved them were finding it harder and harder each day to keep their chins up.

At that moment, the door to the school opened underneath them and the two witnessed Genis emerge with Raine at his side. The siblings seemed deep in conversation about the safety of the students in case something were to happen and what would be the most effective way to evacuate in case of a crisis. Sheena slowly got to her feet, but before she could go any further, Zelos scooped her off her feet and using his wings, brought them gently down to the ground in front of the two half-elves. The siblings paused their conversation to exchange pleasantries and the four of them were about to continue, when the rest of their group began to make the scene. Presea emerged from the direction of Frank's house, not doubt returning from putting Ula down for her nap and seeing if Colette needed anything. The blonde had been feeling extremely weak for the past couple of days and was not permitted to leave the house until she was feeling better. In the meantime, everyone had unwittingly picked up a rotation on who would tend to her, when and for how long. Soon after Presea stopped to stand quietly beside Genis, Yuan and Regal walked up from the entrance of Iselia, debating on the best defense plan they could create when Colette finally went into labor. They too paused in their conversation when they reached the rest of the group and for a moment it was quiet.

It was Zelos who spoke first, "The air is so thick here you could probably cut designs of beautiful hunnies in it you know?"

Raine sighed and merely brought her hand to her face, "As always, your methods are questionable, but you are correct. The tension is building and it's just not from our group either. Many of the villagers seemed to be sensing it as well. I'm inclined to believe that something is going to happen very soon and it's not going to be good for us…"

"I wish Lloyd were here…" Genis muttered more to himself than anyone else, but nonetheless they all silently agreed.

"Say…has anyone seen Lloyd's old man today?" Zelos asked looking around curiously.

_**-Dirk's House-**_

Kratos stood before Anna's gave, lost in his own memories. Noishe stood directly behind him and nudged him gently with his snout. The auburn haired swordsman absent mindedly drew his hand back and began stroking the creatures head, not once looking away from Anna's name. Where could his son be? At this rate, he would in fact be just like his father, missing his out on one of the most important things there was, being a father. If he was still alive…no, he was alive. Of that Kratos was sure…but still what could be keeping him? Had Yggdrasill found Lloyd first before sending an attack on Iselia…Or maybe the attack on Iselia was to keep the company busy while Yggdrasill dealt with Lloyd alone. Yet, that theory still left many questions unanswered. Was his son still free? Did Yggdrasill capture him? Was he on the run? Had something been done to him to make him unable to return?

Kratos was unsure. After the thousands of years in Yggdrasill's company, he knew many of the possibilities. He knew the things his old friend could do and none of them were pleasant. Kratos sighed. Noishe gave out a little whine and the swordsman nodded, "I know, Noishe."

Suddenly a pain shot through his head and knocked Kratos off his balance. Noishe yelped in surprise as the mercenary hit his knees, growling in agony as he tightly clutched his head with both of his hands. Then his hands fell weakly to his sides and Kratos fell forward to land just in front of Anna's grave. Yet he didn't feel himself land. All he was aware of was an eerie silence. He didn't hear the wind blowing through the trees. He didn't hear the little creek by the house. He didn't even hear Noishe. It unnerved him. Finally when he was able to control his muscles once again, he pushed himself to his elbows and gingerly rubbed his pounding head. When he opened his eyes he found a different scene before him instead of Anna's grave. Instead it was a white endless area before him with no boundaries whatsoever.

The Seraph slowly got to his feet and began looking around curiously, unsure as to what brought him there in the first place. Then his angelic hearing picked up a noise directly behind him. Kratos spun around to see a small figured person standing there wrapped in a black cloak. They soon reached up and pulled back the hood to reveal a female half-elf with silver hair and red highlights. Her dark, red eyes were so intense that it seemed to stare into his very soul and she smiled softly as she said, "It's good to see you again, Master Kratos."

"Who…are you?" Kratos asked suspiciously as his hand rested on the hilt of his sword.

A look of disappointment and pain flashed through her eyes before she looked down at the ground saying quietly, "You really did for get me…"

"Wait," Kratos thought for a moment as the voice registered in his head. Someone he knew had the same soft, yet sharp tone that this person did. Not to mention those eyes. Those eyes…Then it hit him! His eyes widened in shock as he choked, "G-Gemini! You're alive!"

"Heh…good. Yggdrasill didn't completely erase me…" the half-elf grinned devilishly. Then instantly her expression turned serious as she said, "Listen, we don't have a lot of time. I can't maintain this connection for much longer. I needed to tell you that your son is alive. Lloyd is with me and we're currently getting out of a… "prison" that Yggdrasill had put us in. We're near the end and soon we'll be making our wat back to you. Nonetheless, we may be a bit delayed and Yggdrasill may beat us to you. Keep your guard strong, and watch over Colette."

"How close is the enemy?" Kratos paled at the thought of the angel. Damn. He had begun to make his advance and no matter how the group tried, they weren't near enough prepared.

"On your doorstep-" she started to explain until she suddenly choked and drew back in pain as the skin on her shoulder suddenly split open and blood began to ooze down her arm. She winced and glared at the wound as she clutched the new injury. After hissing a curse in the angelic language, she focused on Kratos and finished in one quick breath, "We're on the way! Keep Yggdrasill at bay until then!"

Before Kratos could ask even one of the many questions that were flooding his mind, a blinding light flashed through his eyes and he lost consciousness.

_**-Frank's House-**_

Colette sighed and glanced around the bedroom she had been resting in. While it was true that she felt stronger than she had in days, she was still rather weak. The blue-eyed woman slowly got out of the bed and made her way down the stairs, stopping at the bottom as her angelic hearing caught a small commotion just outside of her father's house. The blonde turned the corner just in time to see the door fly open. Raine and Genis were the first ones in but the two that followed directly behind caused the "Chosen" to cover her mouth his shock. A clearly disturbed Yuan was supporting an almost lifeless Kratos as they made their way over to the couch. The half-elf gently placed him down before standing once again and ran his hand through his hair muttered, "Damned fool. For once it would be good if he wasn't so much like his damned son."

"What happened to him?" Colette inquired as the rest of the group filed into the house. The one person that surprised her was that Dirk stood among them. The dwarf moved forward and was the only person to answer her.

"I was comin' home from a job an' I found him lyin' on the ground at Anna's grave. He was mutterin' things under his breath. Talking about Lloyd returnin' soon and then…something about a person named Gemini," Dirk explained causing Yuan to stiffen. He turned to the dwarf and his eyes were flashing dangerously.

"Are you sure, he said Gemini?" the half-elf asked seriously to which Dirk nodded confidently. This caused Yuan to moved away from the couch and sit down at the dining room table. He rested his elbows on the table and brought both of his hands to his face, staring off at the wall no longer paying attention to what was going on around him. Raine dismissed herself to go check on her daughter and the room was silent once more.

Until Kratos groaned somewhat as he groggily brought his hand up to cover his face. Colette was instantly at his side and said, "Can you hear me, Kratos? Are you alright?"

"Cho- Colette?" he muttered still in a daze as he lowered his hand and opened his eyes. After blinking a few times, he seemed stunned and confused as to his current surroundings. Only the most observant of eyes could see the frustration with himself at causing the blonde female before him to concern herself with his wellbeing when it should've been him watching over her. It was fortunate for him, that they were too focused on Yuan's reaction then paying attention to him.

"Good, you're alright! How are you feeling?" Colette chirped sounding almost like her old self once again. Kratos slowly pushed himself to a sitting position and brought one hand up to cover the side of his weary face.

"I'll be alright. Just a little…tired is all," Kratos explained. This seemed to satisfy the blonde who sat back and allowed the man more room to move about freely. Kratos coughed somewhat, still shaken from what he had seen before, but pushed it aside as he reached into his pocket and touched the small wooden carving and letter that Lloyd had sent with him when he was leaving with Derris Kharlan. It kept the angel alive, even though he was so far away from his rediscovered family. It kept him alive in every sense of the word and continued to do so. Kratos then stood, despite Colette's quiet protest that he should rest more and began to make his way out the door when suddenly he stopped. Yuan practically threw the chair he had been sitting in through the wall as he too jumped to his feet and made for the door. Just as they were about to leave the room, a collection of things happens. Those with angelic hearing could tell the a spell of Judgment had been cast across the town of Iselia and the screams of the villagers pierced the air. Yet, something much closer caused them a lot more worry.

Colette gasped out in pain and nearly fell off the couch until Kratos swooped down and caught her with ease. As he stood with her in his arms, he felt something…wet dripping down his leg. Kratos' eyes widened in shock and he looked down at the timid girl in his arms, already knowing the next words that were going to come out of her mouth, thus making the strange surge of mana he had just sensed seem far less important, "My…my water…broke."

Maniacal laughter echoed through all of their heads and an infurated voice called out, "The bloodline ends now!"

_**-Alternate Dimension-**_

"So…that's it huh?" Lloyd asked as he crouched down beside Gemini. They were hiding behind what seemed to be the remains of a collapsed church. Lloyd also donned a black cloak similar to Gemini's to better fit in with the darkness of the dimension after a surprise attack that seemed to have been caused by the bright red clothing he had been dressed in. Said attack had left Gemini with a deep gash across her arm and Lloyd with a shallow, but still painful scratch across the side of his face that would heal fast enough with the use of a simple gel. The incident caused the two new allies to learn a few things and since worked much better together. Now, they had reached their goal and before them seemed to be a concentrated line of mana swirling into a strange little circle. Lloyd could only guess that was the seam that Gemini had been referring to earlier. However, it was the creatures standing guard that truly piqued his interest.

There were ten of them and…for lack of more eloquent wording, they were huge. They seemed to be the size of Golden Dragons and the power that radiated from their shadowed forms was tremendous. No doubt, they were the strongest creatures in the entire realm and were created for the sole purpose of protecting the seam. '_In other words,'_ Lloyd thought,_ 'They won't be easy to take down.'_

"That would be it. There's the goal…and there's the guard…They're thoughtless beings with only one purpose. Kill anything that approaches the seam. No hesitation. No stopping until the threat is destroyed. Not the most creative creatures mind you, but effective. Five for you and five for me. Don't let your guard down and don't stop until you're sure they're dead. Most importantly, don't die," Gemini explain as she gingerly rubbed her injured shoulder. She shifted to the side to get a better view and narrowed her stare on the five creatures closest to the seam. She swallowed and gave a hallow laugh, "This is gonna be fun. You take the five in front. I'll drive to the back and when the last enemy falls, I'll rip apart the seam. Remember, don't wear yourself out before we get back to Iselia. Who knows what's waiting for us."

"No room for mistakes. No excessive movements and no wasted energy," Lloyd agreed drawing his weapons while Gemini did the same. Together they stealthily got to their feet and stood motionless in the shadows. The two fighters side-glanced at one another and without a word, darted in different directions. As Lloyd dashed off to his side, he heard Gemini let out a long, high pitched whistle through her teeth, causing all the creatures to focus in on her. Using the distraction to his advantage, Lloyd descended on the first five opponents that were in his bath. All the combatants quickly became fast moving blurs dashing and spinning through the ruins. The sound of clashing claws and blades rang through silence.

Lloyd had grown into a fighter that would've made his father proud. His attacks were powerful and the follow-throughs were so fluid that there didn't seem to a single weak point to strike. All those training sessions he had gone through with his father had taught Lloyd many things. However, Gemini had far more training. She moved her weapons as effortless and as natural as breathing. She would flip through the air, seeming to put herself in compromising positions, only to dive down and leave a devastating attack on the enemies below. She could spin on her heels with an elegance that Lloyd had never seen before and despite her small frame, she could throw real power into her moves. This caused fire to be fueled within Lloyd as well. He drove forward with a renewed power and spun his blades in his hands while he leapt into the air. Then he tightened his grip on the hilts as he called out, "Double Demon Fang!"

The creature took the brunt of the attack straight to the face and crumbled to the ground. Upon further inspection he noticed that the creature was still alive. As soon as his feet hit the ground once again, he lunged forward and finished the monster with the call of, "Omega Tempest!"

One down, four to go. Meanwhile, Gemini had just finished her second foe and turned to the third.

The fight dragged on. All the while, Gemini and Lloyd managed to only sustain few injuries. The Eternal Swordsman had gotten a little worried when he saw a creature slam into Gemini's chest and sent her flipping back into a wall, but she recovered instantly. She rejoined the fight like it was nothing, but Lloyd could vividly see the stream of blood that was dripping from the corner of her mouth. He however, had sustained a heavy blow himself. Despite his fighting, he was almost positive that his left shoulder blade had been fractured. Soon there were only two more enemies left and the two fighters stood back-to-back while the creatures stepped forward to attack. The two were breathing hard, but were determined not to budge an inch. Gemini coughed and was almost confused when Lloyd started to laugh under his breath.

"When this is over…you have to tell me where you learned to fight like that."

Gemini smirked somewhat and replied in monotone, "Years and years of practice."

"Heh, sounds like something Dad would say," Lloyd chuckled as the creatures finally came as close as they wanted them too. Gemini and Lloyd lunged into the fight. The two drove forward and threw their all into one final attack. Lloyd struck down his opponent by plunging one of his swords into the heart of the creature and the other into the head of the monster. Gemini on the other head was jumping up higher into the air, using the creature's thrashing limbs to her advantage and flipped into the air. She raised her chakram high above her head and focused quite a bit of her mana into them. Then she growled and shouted, "Rings of Indignation!"

Her weapons shone with a bright blue aura before throwing them down on the creature's chest, effectively slicing straight through them. When she landed, her knees buckled from under her and she stayed hunched over on the ground breathing hard. Lloyd quickly appeared at her side and reached down to help her to her feet. Gemini looked at him from the corner of her eyes before wiping the sweat from her brown and getting to her feet without his help. She hooked the weapons onto her hips and began making her way over to where the seam was. Lloyd wordlessly followed after her and didn't say a word as the half-elf inspected the seam carefully.

"Alright this is going to be more difficult than I thought. It would seem that Yggdrasill reinforced this long after I had created it…Lloyd, no matter what, reach out and grab the edge of the seam as soon as I release it. You have to do this in order to have contact with the real world and get us back home. Don't worry about me, I'll grab onto you before this all ends. Now, let me work my magic," Gemini said not giving him a chance to ask question, though more than a dozen were whirling around inside his head. What in the goddess' name did she mean "grab" the seam?! What was she going to do? How was he going to get them back to the real world? He didn't have the slightest idea.

The half-elf took in a deep breath and raised her right hand high above her head. She began chanting an angelic spell and dark red surges of lightning sparked through her fingers. The female was so focused on her chanting that she didn't notice the seam flashing and warping right in front of her, but Lloyd on the other hand, stood in awe. The lightning soon condensed and turned into an orb right in the palm of her hand. The half-elf's eyes snapped open and she suddenly slammed the orb right into the middle of the seam as she shouted commandingly, "Release!"

Instantly, the sound of an explosion burst through around them and the dimension's stability sent a ripple underneath their feet. The seam opened and despite the ground moving under his feet, Lloyd shot forward and grabbed the twisting end of a string made of pure mana. It burned his fingers straight through the heavy material of his gloves, but his determination caused him to latch on. Soon the pain dilled and he found himself staring into the appearing image of his hometown. The sight horrified him. A dull orange and yellow glow dyed the sky. Buildings were alight and enflamed. People were screaming in terror. Monsters were running rampant through the roads. Then in the sky, he witnessed something that froze the very blood in his veins. Flying just above all the carnage, three wings beings shot through the sky, locked in a battle so intense that he could sense their mana signatures as if they were standing right beside him. The angelic genes within him focused on it and he knew who they were without having to actually see. Yuan, Kratos, and Yggdrasill were locked in a heated battle. Meanwhile his friends were fighting to protect the town. Then he saw Colette. Sheena was doing her best to lead the crying blonde back to the house but finally she collapsed on the ground. She could go no further. Zelos swooped in and drove back the enemies that came after them.

"Colette!" Lloyd shouted, feeling fear tear into his gut.

"Don't lose focus, Lloyd! Focus on their mana! It's the only chance we have to get back in time! Focus!" Gemini demanded forcefully. Yet, no matter how hard she tried to hide it, Lloyd could detect the distress in her voice. At first he didn't understand, and then it hit him. The realm was falling apart all around them. Focusing on their mana wasn't only Iselia's last chance. It was theirs. Gemini was pitched forward by the instability of the realm and screamed, "Focus, Lloyd! Focus!"

"I can't! Colette!" Lloyd shouted in desperation . There was nothing he could do. She was so far away and he was too weak. A tear fell from his eye and he shouted something that Gemini didn't quite understand. In response, a flash of pure light quickly engulfed them and the two fighters called out one final time before falling silent. Then darkness fell.

_**-Chapter End-**_

**I have to say…I liked the fight scene in this chapter. Rewriting this has given me a real spark of what I originally had planned for this story. I'm really angry with myself for not coming back to it sooner…Hehe…Review if you would like. n.n I hope you're enjoying this my friends. And I did end this chapter a little differently from before. I have something extra planned for the next chapter. **


	4. Don't Back Down

_**Me:**___**Alright so this is a little different from the original. This is sort of a brand new entire chapter of its own because I realized how much of an amazing fight scene I could have put into this story at this point and didn't…SO This is actually something new that I didn't have originally, but the ending should be very familiar to those who read this story before. Due to this, I'm temporarily bringing back the muses just for this chapter because essentially it is new. (Snaps fingers and Gemini and Lloyd appear.)**

_**Lloyd:**_** Whoa! I thought you abandoned this story. I have to say…good seeing you again.**

_**Gemini:**_** (crosses arms defiantly) Just make sure you do back down…AGAIN.**

_**Me:**_** (waves them off dismissively) I know I know. Personally, I would've been upset when I started this story that I didn't have any new reviews for the Revamp, but I actually don't think I deserve them, until I reach the point where I'm actually posting brand new chapters. I wonder how many people are even reading this anymore?**

_**Gemini:**_** It would serve you right if no one was.**

_**Lloyd:**_** I would say that's a little harsh…but you did ignore this story for…how long?**

_**Me:**_** As I said once before. I'm well aware, but this is an effort to redeem myself. After all, I started this story in sixth grade…I have since grown. We're getting nowhere with this annoyed banter. I don't own anything but my own characters. Chapter Start!**

_**-Chapter Start-**_

_**Chapter 4: Don't Back Down**_

The fight rampaging through Iselia was intense, but it was nothing compared to what was sparking through the sky, flashing through the air so fast that it was difficult for the untrained eye to perceive. The first fighters that had made it out of the house had been Yuan and Kratos and as soon as they left the threshold, the enemy showed himself. Yggdrasill had in fact returned…almost like he hadn't left in the first place. Nothing about him had changed. His long blond hair still covered half of his face and the white Cruxis outfit he donned still hung on his regal form. The only true difference was his eyes; wide and wild. Within them reflected a madness that had not been there before. A power that none among the group could yet match.

"Well, if it isn't my old comrades. How long has it been? Almost…six years has it not? Yes, it had been that long hasn't it? I do hope you haven't lost your edge in battle…for you see I surely have not! Holy Lance!" Yggdrasill had roared in fury upon seeing the two and before anything could be done to stop him, the spell he cast crashed right down onto Frank's house. Instantly the wood was set in flames and screams could be heard from the house. All the color drained from the two fighters' faces, but the door burst open and all the people that had been in quickly filed out, the last being Sheena and Zelos who were supporting a very unstable Colette. Yggdrasill grinned in such a way that caused both Kratos and Yuan to react without thinking. It was clear what the old leader of Cruxis had been thinking and for Colette it meant dying the minute she heard the cry of her unborn child. The worst thing Yggdrasill could think to do would give her chance to hear the life that she had brought into the world, before taking her away. Both of the Seraphs had called forth their wings and Yuan was the first to shoot into the sky. Kratos' wings flared behind him and he turned his head to the rest of the group.

"Yuan and I will keep him busy. Drive through the monsters and get Colette to Dirk's. That may be the only place left that is safe for the moment," the auburn haired man commanded before leaping into the air after the half-elf. It was the only thing they could think to do. Keep their old friend busy, while the rest of the group got Colette to the safety of Dirk's house.

Currently, the Seraphs were locked in heated battle, doing whatever it took to get through their opponent. Yuan had trained hard to master the use of his large weapon in midair combat and Kratos had been no different. They were easily the most prepared fighters amongst the group and yet, they couldn't stop the sense of dread swelling in their hearts. Would it really be enough? Yuan and Kratos threw everything they had against the other angel who in the past had easily beaten them back like they were nothing. Would now really be so different?

Yuan darted to Yggdrasill's side and attempted to slice through his opponent's guard, aiming straight for the ribs. It would see that the blonde Seraph had seen this coming and used a charge of mana to deflect it to the side before driving his fist into the blue-haired half-elf's gut. This sent Yuan falling back in an attempt to catch his breath, thus signaling for Kratos to step in. The mercenary flew up from under the angel and thrust his blade for what would've been his heart had Yggdrasill not teleported away. Kratos barely had time to react before an attack slammed right into the small of his back, tearing straight through his clothes and flesh. Surprisingly enough, he didn't allow this to affect him and spun in the air to throw a spell of his own, "Wind Blade!"

Though it wasn't one of the strongest attacks he could think to do at the moment, it was effective nonetheless. At such close range, it sent Yggdrasill sprawling back and allowed him to jump back to the safety of a nearby roof. Yuan was at his side in a minute.

"I'll buy you time to heal yourself. After that we have to time our attacks in unison. Our only chance is to keep him from getting the chance to cast any magic," Yuan stated looking to his friend serious.

"Indeed…" Kratos agreed before focusing on casting the spell First Aid. Once that was through, he was in the air once again, working closely with Yuan to bring their old friend down.

The fight that was occurring on the ground was equally as trying as the one in the sky. Noishe had loyally stayed with the group to be beside Colette who now rode on the protozoan's back while Sheena and Dirk tried to navigate their way through the enemies to get out of the town. Meanwhile the rest of the group was torn between three different goals; protecting the fleeing villagers from the enemies, clearing a path Colette, and merely staying alive. However, each was proving more difficult with the passing minutes of battle.

"Is it me or do these guys seem supercharged or something?" Zelos asked with sweat dripping down the side of his face as he sliced through the enemy that stood directly before him.

"I noticed that as well…it seems as though these monsters are…feeding off something," Raine noticed as she cast a healing spell on Regal who had been thrown into the wall of an already collapsing shop. He cast her an appreciative glance before turning on the enemies once again and running right back into the fray. Presea stuck close to Genis and seemed to have been far less willing to leave his side since the injury he had sustained the last time Iselia had been under attack. In fact, when an enemy would approach him as he was casting a spell, the pink-haired ax wielder would run to his side and viciously lay into whatever dared come too close to him. After one such time, Genis paused and thought of his sister's words before looking up to the sky where Kratos, Yggdrasill and Yuan were still locked in tight combat. The three weren't giving a single inch. If one withdrew the other two would advance to pick up the slack. There was not even a moment in which they paused to breathe. He watched their flurried movements carefully, focusing on the one half-elf he thought of as a friend. Then it hit him.

"Raine! Everybody! The monsters are feeding off of Mithos' – I mean Yggdrasill's mana! He's making them stronger! Watch out!" he shouted hoping everyone could hear him over all the commotion.

"That doesn't make sense squirt. How is he doing that?!" Zelos shouted as he ducked just in time to narrowly avoid a Golem from attempting to break his neck with a single blow.

"I don't know how!" Genis hollered back, agitated by the "squirt" comment but decided that now was not the time to do anything about it. The monsters had them surrounded and they were beginning to wear down. Normally, slaying monster after monster was something that the group could do without breaking a sweat, but what Genis had said was true. Somehow, the monsters were drawing from Yggdrasill's power and considering that they were in such close proximity, they were becoming nearly impossible to handle.

A howl broke through the air. Then two womens' surprised screams pierced their eardrums before the call of someone being struck to the ground could be heard. Time seemed to slow down and everyone fighting, including those in the air, seemed to pause to survey what had taken place. An overpowered ghost had lunged and set Noishe off balance. Taking advantage of this, a group of three wolves pounced on the creature, throwing Colette from his back. The woman had enough control to land on her feet but was overcome by the pain of a contraction and her knees buckled. She gently hit the ground, doubled over in pain. Noishe thrashed against the creatures that had him pinned against the ground and the protozoan's paw crashed into Sheena's side, sending her falling back across the ground on her but as well. The ghost from before lunged and landed one clean attack across the kunoichi's head, effectively knocking her unconscious. Dirk, who was the closest to the attack, roared uncharacteristically, and unhooked the hammer tool from his belt. In one fell swoop, he beat the creature back and then went to help Noishe. After knocking the wolves to the side, he moved to check on Colette but didn't catch sight of the Zombie that hit him square in the back, throwing him to the ground and causing him to crack his head against a fallen plank of wood. An injured Noishe limped over to where Colette sat and gently pulled Sheena and Dirk closer to them, protectively wrapping himself around them all.

"And so it finally ends. What a pity," Yggdrasill laughed causing anger to flare in the hearts of two particular angelic beings.

"Screw you, spandex boy!" Zelos roared as he released his wings, effectively blowing the monsters within his vicinity to fly back as his mana pulsed through the air. The "Chosen" shot through the air and slew the creatures advancing on his unconscious wife and Colette. His fierce blue eyes were alight with something that not many had seen in him before. It was a determination that stemmed from the very essence of his being, the very heart of him. The swordsman looked back at the trembling blonde female and said, "Don't worry, little angel. We're going to kick some butt and get you somewhere safe where you can bring Bud's kid into the world without worry. Just leave it to us and don't worry your pretty head!"

With that he swiftly dispatched the advancing foes and cleared a path for the others to get to them. Raine immediately went over to Sheena and Colette, doing an impromptu checkup of their vitals and healing the gash on the ninja's head, while making sure the babies were unharmed. Meanwhile, the group surrounded them, creating a wall. Zelos speech seemed to have renewed them and they fought with energy that they didn't know they had. Not only did it reach those who were fighting on the ground. It reached the two Seraphs in the air.

"Yggdrasill!" Kratos roared as he flashed toward his enemy with his sword in hand. Seeing the look in his old mentor's eyes, Yggdrasill called forth a sword of his own and met the fighter with a powerful swing. Kratos would not be stayed and soon, Yuan could only stay on the sidelines and watch for fear of becoming a liability in such a skillful swordfight.

The two were masters, despite the fact that Yggdrasill never showed it. After all, Kratos had taught him many things. Sparks flared and the two swordsmen clashed viciously. The blades were mere blurs that reflected silver shimmers across the ground and sweat gleamed across the faces of the men. All that, however, was nothing compared to the determination lighting their eyes. Each was driven by a single thought. A single thought that fueled every muscle in their bodies to push on, despite the exhaustion, despite the pain, and despite the possibility that it would all be for naught. Knowing that he had no place in such a fierce battle, Yuan went to aid those on the ground. It was only when he reached there that he realized something that had missed his attention while he had been so focused on Yggdrasill.

"The entire town is saturated in…mana," he said in a state of awe. Upon further inspection, his blood ran cold as it dawned on him. This was no ordinary mana. This was mana overflowing from Yggdrasill's own being. He eyes snapped up to the two fighting and he called out desperately to his ally, "Watch yourself, Kratos! His Cruxis Crystal is radiating vast amounts of mana! He's likely to-"

Yuan was stopped as a large, stone arm caught him square across his head. The motionless half-elf was sent flipping through the air and crashed into a nearby tree. Splinters rained all around him as he collapsed and laid there without moving. Before anything else could happen, a large explosion erupted from the entire ground. The mana swelling in the dirt had reached the highest density it could maintain and erupted, dispersing all into the air. The sheer force of it caused almost every member of the group to fall to the ground unable to move and sent the surviving monster running far away from the scene. Kratos and Colette were the only able ones to move, somehow not being at heavily affected as the rest of them. So the auburn haired threw the other man back and held his sword out before him. The swordsman knew he was the last line of defense…and he couldn't let his son or his daughter-in-law down.

"Step aside, my old friend, and you might just live through this," Yggdrasill stated coldly as he stared at Kratos disdainfully. His eyes narrowed malevolently on Colette who had somehow gotten to her feet and was clutching her stomach in an attempt to soothe the pain. The half-elf knew that the birth was close at hand. If he did not act soon, he would lose his chance.

"Why Mithos? Why do this to us? To your old friends? We can put everything behind us?" Colette pleaded, hoping to talk some sort of sense into him.

"Silence! Do not speak, failed chosen!" Yggdrasill hissed, the murderous intent growing in his eyes with each passing second. Yet, only one person stood in his way. Thus, the blond turned his attention back to Kratos and continued, "You don't honestly believe that you can defeat me, do you Kratos? Not only have you been worn down from the fight, but you have been worn down by other such concerns…such as your son's whereabouts."

Kratos froze at the mention of his son. His eyes widened and doing everything he could to maintain his composure as he spoke, Kratos asked, "Where is Lloyd? What did you do to my son, Mithos?"

The half-elf merely laughed, "Come now. Do you honestly expect to me to just tell you? You should know better by now, Kratos. Stand down. You know as well as I that you won't stand much longer against me. Let me have the failed being and you can keep your life."

"No, Mithos. I will not stand idly by while you harm those that I have sworn to protect. Stay back, or I will strike you down," Kratos growled through grit teeth, making his deadly tone seem all the more threatening. Colette watched with wide eyes as Kratos flexed his own power, in a display to show that he would not be so easily pushed aside. He would stand in the way until he was no longer able to. Kratos took in a deep breath and said, "It is you who should step aside. Not me."

"Then you are the only one to blame for your downfall. This is what happens when you give in to your sentimental emotions, but for your sake, you may very well be reunited with your dear wife, Anna," Yggdrasill smirked and a dangerous glint came to his eyes. Kratos nearly felt his entire body go cold. Before anything else could be said, Yggdrasill raised his hand and formed an orb of condensed electricity that would not only be powerful enough to kill anyone by shutting down their entire nervous system, but would also separate the mana from the source's host; thus making any chance of revival nearly impossible. After focusing it and refining it in the palm of his hand, Yggdrasill launched the attack at his old companion with such speed that Kratos didn't even know what had happened until it made contact with his chest. A startled cry died in the back of the swordsman's throat and instantly his eyes faded out of focus. Falling limp in the sky, Kratos' wings flickered away and the fighter plummeted to the ground. Colette screamed and many others of the group hollered something trying to rouse the fighter. Nothing seemed to reach him and it seemed like he would crash to the ground. That was until Noishe heroically leapt through the air and caught him on the middle of his back. The protozoan landed nimbly and despite his own injuries, dashed over to where Colette was.

"Kratos…Kratos…please answer me," Colette whispered desperately as she gently pulled the unmoving mercenary from the animals back and gingerly lowered him to the ground. Tears were streaming down the sides of her face as she stared at his pale face and slow moving chest. She could feel the mana leaving his body and all she could do was hold her father-in-law close to her, crying in fear of what was about to happen. Lloyd didn't make it…Lloyd…was he even still alive? Colette heard the angel land on the ground, a few feet in front of her and she was he even still alive? Colette heard the angel land on the ground, a few feet in front of her and she raised her bright blue eyes to see Yggdrasill looking down on her with eyes that were coated in ice. She closed her eyes tightly and called out, "Please hurry, Lloyd! We need you!"

"Your precious Lloyd won't come to save you. He met his end long ago," Yggdrasill sneered in smug triumph. He once again called forth another condense orb of electricity and pointed it straight at Colette's heart. The blue eyed girl stared up at the attack and felt, for what she was sure would be the last time, her unborn child kick in her stomach. The leader of Cruxis smiled and said, "Goodbye, failed chosen!"

"Enough!" two voices rang through the air around them. A gust of wind whipped through the air and sent the attack he had just released flying into a tree far away from its intended target. Two dark blurs shot forth and scooped up both Colette and Kratos before disappearing once again, but not before a burst of light mana shone through the sky, effectively blinding everyone. Once it died down to the point where their sight began to recover, everyone was shocked to see two figure rushing the angel from both sides. Each had a pure concentration of mana in their hands and seemed to be aimed right into Yggdrasill's chest. However, he was not caught completely unaware. At the last possible moment, both of the half-elf's arms shot out to grab the attackers and give them a swift jerk the caused both of their hoods to fall back. The mere sight not only caused Yggdrasill's blood to run cold, but brought dozens of questions to the group's collective mind that just did not seem to make any sort of sense. It was the blonde, half-elf male that spoke first.

"It…can't be…Martel?" he gasped unable to move.

"M-Mithos…but…but how?" Genis breathed in exhaustion from where he sat amongst the others.

_**-Chapter End-**_

_**Me:**_** (nods approvingly) That's much better. That would've been fun to put in the first time…but things happen. At least I have grown…in my opinion.**

_**Lloyd:**_** Did…Zelos just take my place and rally the group?**

_**Gemini:**_** (blinks) I…think that idiot Chosen did…**

_**Me:**_** Yes, something I decided to further the plot development. Zelos has been learning things from Lloyd and well…he's changing…somewhat.**

_**Lloyd:**_** What is he learning from me?**

_**Gemini:**_** I don't know…but its kinda a nice change…Anyway, review if you want…things may get a bit more interesting from this point on.**

_**Me:**_** Thanks for reading everyone.**


	5. The Miraculous Defense

**Alright. So now that I had fun with that last chapter and put in something completely new to it, it's back to fixing the rest of this story. I think there were be more opportunities like the last chapter for me to expand on certain things and that will make this story even better. Hehe…enjoy. (drinks hot vanilla chai tea contently)**

_**-Chapter Start-**_

_**Chapter 5: The Miraculous Defense**_

No matter what their hearts and minds told them, the people assembled where shocked at the sight they currently beheld. It was unbelievable and yet, they thought it could not be true. There stood Yggdrasill, with his wings flaring out behind in in anger and each of his hands was wrapped around the wrists of the aforementioned half-elves. The sight of Martel was enough to surprise them, but the sight of Mithos was too much to comprehend. After all, Yggdrasill and Yggdrasill were one in the same. So how was this possible? Not to mention that Martel, his very own flesh and blood, his sister, had died in his arms. So what in the world was going on?

Then suddenly, the strange sibling duo pushed him back and quickly dodged, making their way toward the spot between the group and the enemy. Martel's eyes flashed over to the side where Yuan still lied unconscious before returning her focus to Mithos with a cold expression. Everyone was so focused on what was going on right before them that even the most trained eye among them failed to catch sight of the two shadows slinking along the sidelines. One was carefully making way over toward the entrance of Iselia while the other leapt onto a rooftop with a good vantage point of the entire situation. The entire time, the second figure seemed to be moving…awkwardly to say the least.

Yggdrasill took a hesitant step forward and his wings fluttered uncertainly while a strange emotion flashed through his eyes. An eerie silence fell and a cold chill descending freezing all in attendance into statues. In an attempt to discover what was happening before his very eyes, Yggdrasill focused intently on the mana signatures of the two before him. While they almost seemed to match up to the original Martel and Mithos, there was a small hint of someone else in there…Yggdrasill's face darkened while his anger spiked. Yes, indeed there was another mana signature and he knew to whom in belonged all too well. A fact that he expertly hid while he focused on the pair of siblings before him, "What a perfect little trick…I wonder who would have such gall to send such shadows of the past before me? Few have ever gained the ability to call such beings forth through the use of their own mana…its leaves them dangerously vulnerable."

"You are pathetic," Mithos muttered shaking his head sadly. He looked up at the angelic being before him and continued, "To think that I had to become such a sad being as you are. Too think you were merely revived by the hatred and desperation that failed to dissipate when it should have. What weak things to cling to."

"How far are you willing to fall, brother?" Martel asked in a tone that was mixed with anger, disappointment, and desperation. She shook her head and continued, "You once had such great ideals. You wanted to save people. So why are you here destroying this town?"

"What…is going on? This doesn't…seem…right," Genis stammered struggling to find the words. Inside confusion and inner turmoil ran rampant as he witnessed his friend being viciously assaulted by what he called "shadows of the past." While he was angry that the Seraph had attacked the town as viciously as he had, he found no pleasure in watching the torment reflect through his dark eyes. The half-elf was jostled from his thoughts upon hearing movement at his side and turned to see Presea leaning forward and focusing on the forms of Mithos and Martel in front of her.

"Something…is not…normal," she whispered in a hushed monotone as she pointed to the foot of the figures. Everyone around her focused on the exact place she pointed and were barely able to stifle theirs gasps of surprise. Presea nodded as they began to realize what she was on to and the pink-haired girl said, "Are they…illusions? Look at them from this angle…there is a transparency to them."

"They're not illusions, feeble being," Yggdrasill stated calmly as the company flinched it dawning on them that he had heard everyone. It was foolish of them to forget that he had angelic hearing. The leader of the disbanded Cruxis rose to the air and continued, "I have grown tired of these games. It's time to finish this. I have been distracted long enough."

With that he directed his hand at them and without needing the time to cast, he sent the spell Judgment to rain on the two siblings. As soon as the magic connected, they seemed to disappear in a burst of pure mana and faded into the air like they had never been there in the first place. Meanwhile, Yggdrasill continued to rise in the air and look around the town, carefully scrutinizing every shadow and every pile of ash. All the while, he completely ignored the group beneath him that were beginning to get their strength back and were taking full advantage of his distraction. Soon they were all on their feet once again and Regal inquired, "What is he looking for?"

"Remember him speaking of someone being able to call forth the "shadows of the past." Working under the assumption that the one who is responsible for it, must be near to the point of which they are summoning them, I would imagine that he is looking for the source of it," Raine explained quickly catching on to what was going on. She, as always of course, was right.

"Why don't you come out, my old confidant…Come out and face me, Gemini!" Yggdrasill roared suddenly spinning one-hundred eighty degrees around and launching what seemed to be a smaller version on the mana canon right out of the palm of his hand toward a dark roof. It was then that the shadow from before suddenly jumped up and threw out a hand to meet the attack with a shield of pure, harnessed mana from the body of the user. An explosion of light erupted through the sky and effectively brought the scene to light.

The silver-haired half-elf planted her two feet firmly on the rooftop and with one hand managed to meet the attack head on with an explosion of her own mana molded as a shield. The burst sent her cloak flying back behind her and the group let out astonished cry to see that she clutched the unmoving form of Kratos with a hand that likewise seemed to be alight with concentration of mana. This hand however was pressed rightly against Kratos' chest and seemed to be pulling the energy out of the air into his body. The half-elf's blood red eyes focused on the blonde-haired opponent before her as she shouted out to be heard over the attack, "I'm impressed! I honestly expected you to be distracted by that ploy just a bit longer. No matter. We'll end this squabble nonetheless!"

None of the company could explain what happened next and only Raine seemed to have the semblance of an idea as she whispered, "A Mana Wielder…"

The power radiating from her fingertips abruptly condensed and then exploded, casing Yggdrasill to retreat to regain his composure. In that instant, the female disappeared and the next anyone saw of her was when she was standing in front of the group gently laying not only Kratos gingerly on the ground, but a still unconscious Yuan whom she had retrieved after leaving the rooftop. Once she got to her feet, she placed both of her hands in the air over their forms and said, "Damned it all be to hell. Get up!"

"A mana transfer?" Raine questioned as she watched the half-elf force quite a bit of her own power into the bodies of the down Seraphs. In seconds, each of them opened their eyes and began to push themselves up in a daze. The mysterious half-elf smiled, pleased with herself as she nodded in affirmation to Raine's question.

"Good to see that you two aren't ready to die just yet. Now before we have a happy reunion and all-" Yggdrasill teleported to be standing right beside the speaking female and with a single thrust, landed a powered punch directly to her jaw. The force sent her sprawling across the ground a few meters until she crashed into a house. Yet not even giving her a chance to recover, the blonde rose into the air and pointed at her.

"Be lain to rest the way your treacherous deeds deserve or rise to the position in which you owe, Gemini! Judgment of Indignation!" Yggdrasill called, but unlike the other spells he had cast before, this one brought down a single concentrated beam of light that possessed a reddish hue that seemed to be targeted on the half-elf. As soon as the attack made contact, it quickly obliterated the building and plants that surrounded her. Kratos and Yuan were still dazed, but well enough to jump to their feet and stare at the onslaught, balling their fists in frustration.

"Don't stop being stubborn now, Gem," Yuan muttered darkly as he took in the destruction.

"Indeed…" Kratos agreed shaking his head. Just as the dust began to settle, a new scene came to their sight that stunned them all to speechlessness. There stood Gemini, with her tattered cloak falling off behind her, and particles of mana fluttering to the ground around her as she steadily walked toward the blonde. She had not made it through unscathed, but the various bleeding gashes along her skin did not seem to bother her. Nor did the continuous pelting of light attacks that were now being pelted at her one right after another. After the seventh attack, she disappeared on the spot and teleported away.

"Where-" before Yggdrasill could continue, Gemini appeared directly in front of him and slammed her hand into the middle of his chest, releasing a pent up attack of her own. It sent her opponent flying back like she had before him and while he recovered, she returned her attention to the rest of the group with fierce eyes flashing.

"Don't just stand there! Get going to Dirk's house now! I'll handle the situation here. Colette and Lloyd need all of you right now!" the half-elf commanded as she turned her back to the and released the rest of the power she had stored within her body. At that moment, a pair of ruby red, dazzling wings burst from her back and lifted her from the ground. Once she had sustained a stable height, she looked back at the group and scowled, "That wasn't a friendly suggestion! Get. Moving. Now!"

"Gemini…thank you," Kratos wheezed through his earlier pain before turning on his heels and leading the rest of the company out of the burning town. Meanwhile, Yggdrasill had effectively recovered and rose to meet her in in midair.

"I never would have thought I would see you alive again, Gemini," Yggdrasill stated popping his shoulder back into place while he gingerly placed one hand on his now wounded chest. His eyes looked over her carefully before continuing, "I must say…I'm pleased to say you look well…"

"After being thrown from one of the highest points of the Tower of Salvation, it doesn't surprise me that you never expected to see me again, Mithos, but you had an idea it wouldn't kill me. Why else would you place that trap on my Cruxis Crystal? I know you're the reason I was sent to that dimension the moment you were defeated. Or are you so self-absorbed in your hatred that you don't remember doing that?" Gemini sneered as she extended her arm until there was a loud pop that sounded from her elbow. Then she brought it back and rolled her neck, loosening up for the next confrontation.

"I had indeed hoped that you would survive that fall. What use would you be to me if you were dead after all? Although, I am not the same man you remember me to be. I have grown so much stronger since," Yggdrasill stated extending his hands out proudly before him as he spoke. He leaned his head back and laughed as he continued, "Look around you! I bring down judgment on those who have gone far too long without repentance of their deeds. I shall bring balance back and make this world the way that it was meant to be."

"You will always be Mithos to me… However, this is how the world is meant to be and it changes in the time it needs. You will do nothing but harm the world and the people within it and I cannot allow that," the female shook her head sadly and looked at him with an unfathomable expression on her face. Her hands reached down to unhook her chakram from her hips and she took in a deep breath. Yet, Yggdrasill just smiled.

"Do you honestly believe you can stand against me? Not only have I long since exceeded you when it comes to strength, but to my knowledge your… _condition_ is still highly unstable and could be…activated at any given moment? Am I wrong?" he asked with a strange glint flashing in his eyes. Gemini bit down on the corner of her lip until she tasted blood in her mouth. She knew that he had her right where he wanted her. Sensing this, he chuckled and said, "So you're still struggling to control it, aren't you?"

"When I finally lose control…I'll take my chance to break your wings and rip them from your back, Mithos!" Gemini screeched as she flew forward, swinging her chakram straight toward him. Instantly, a sword appeared in his hand and the two drove straight into battle. Mana burst wildly all about them and sparks flared as they slammed their weapons repeatedly against one another. Though there were many fighters who were physically stronger than the two combatants, there were few who were as fast as they. The half-elves teleported from place to place, furiously lashing out to strike the other down. If any had stayed within the confines of the town, all that could be seen were flashes of their images when their weapons clashed before disappearing once again to a new location. Soon each of them were covered in various bleeding gashes and their auras' were spiking with the use of their power. Sweat began to drip down the sides of their faces and Gemini could feel her muscles beginning to protest such vicious movements. It had been too long since she had used her angelic powers and it was difficult to keep up with someone like her opponent who was a master of it all.

"You're slipping, Gemini. You were so much more of an opponent those years ago before you betrayed me to help Kratos protect his pathetic family. I shall cure you of that now," Yggdrasill said bashing the blunt side of his blade hard against Gem's hands, causing her to loosen her grip on her weapons. Even though it was only for a few seconds, it was long enough weakness for Yggdrasill to disarm her in midair and slam the palm of his hand into the skin just below the base of her neck and just above her breast. Her blood-red eyes widened in shock and she looked at him desperately as he said, "Ah, I see you've reinforced the seal to make it last longer…Interesting. How about I fix that shall we? After all, it does weaken you so to have such a thing in place."

"S-Stop!" she commanded, but it was too late. A bright light blinded her and she felt her breath was taken away. Losing all sense of what was going on around her, Gemini plummeted to the ground and slammed into the dirt, trying to clear the haze from her mind. Before she could, Yggdrasill descended and slammed on top of her with his finger wrapped tightly around her throat. A small crater was created around the two of them from the force of the blonde half-elf's attack and Gemini was once again thrown into a daze that only worsened now that she had an external force making breathing difficult. In an attempt to throw him off, she thrust her arm toward his head but it was almost like he expected the rash attack as his hand shot out to grab it. In one swift jerk, he twisted her arm until a loud snap could be heard and a scream of pain temporarily broke through the female's grit teeth. The now broken limb fell to the ground uselessly and she hissed, "Damn…you…"

"Come now. Just stay down and we can forget this ever happened," he replied holding fast and strong to her throat. It was only a matter of time before her struggling ceased and he released his grip. Confident that she would not move from that spot, he returned to the air and began searching for Kratos' mana signature. After all, wherever that fool was, it was guaranteed that Lloyd and the failed Chosen would be close by. That was all he needed to know. So the blonde focused and spread out the search, leaving the limits of Iselia and continuing further. Every single creature came to his sight and he knew that it would not take long. All he needed was patience. They would fall into his hands soon enough.

Then he heard it. Something he hadn't expected. His eyes shot down as the female half-elf was back on her feet, stumbling around. She finally planted her feet and put her hands together as she knelt on the ground. A circle of concentrated mana encircled her and words in the angelic language began to be written in the dirt and she chanted, "By mana be called, Summon Spirit Efreet, for you have a plea to please be heard. Take what is offered and grant me thy strength of your raging hellfire to defend those who need me…Raging Hellfire!"

Just as the last word left her mouth, Gemini doubled over in exhaustion as she felt a large portion of her strength and mana leave her body. Shaking her head in an attempt to see straight, she glanced up to her opponent to see that Yggdrasill's body had erupted in flames and he was struggling to get them under control as they licked the clothes that covered his skin. Knowing that she had bought herself more valuable time, Gemini slowly straightened up and focused her mind. That last attack had drained quite a bit out of her and she would need to draw in the mana of the world around her to regain herself. Yet, her opponent knew this all too well. He was quick to smother the flames that raged over his form and teleported toward her. His sword tight in hand, he came up behind her and thrust the weapon forward. A gasp could be heard as the blade stabbed deep into the half-elf's back and a warm feeling slipped down her back in the path that the blood traveled from the wound.

"You've managed to become a thorn in my side that I can no longer ignore. It would be wise to keep you under lock and key until I can exact my revenge on those who dared stand against me," Yggdrasill whispered into her ear as he unceremoniously ripped the blade from her back. She hit her knees and coughed while the Seraph rose into the sky.

"D…Damn…it…" she muttered angrily. She was losing too much blood and too much energy and she was unable to cause him to do the same. She glared up at the sky and hissed, "What…is he…shit…"

Before he even finished chanting the spell, the female was on her feet and throwing out something of her own. Pushing her wings to their limit, she rose swiftly into the air and threw her arms out to their fullest extent as she shouted, "Mana Shield!"

Directly in front of her, formed a dome of red-hued mana that quickly spread in what seem hexagonal shapes to lay protectively over Iselia. The barrier spread as far as the limits and laid over the city like a blanket while the half-elf continued to remain in the middle of it, fueling and reinforcing it with all the excess power she had stored within her body. The only thing going through her mind was that if she failed, all that would be left of Iselia would be smoldering ash.

"Imperial Justice!" Yggdrasill roared and the assaulted that rained from the sky on the shield around the town seemed to be a super-charged mixture of Lightning Blade and Holy Lance. At first it seemed as though the barrier would be enough to keep him at bay, but Gemini knew all too well. Since he had worked closely with her, helping her refine her own abilities, he had also worked to control his own mana in a similar fashion. Though he could never reach the same level of skill as she could, he had weakened her plenty to even the scale. As he expected, fissures and cracks spread across the surface. Gemini's eyes began to slide in and out of focus until finally, he broke through. In a spectacular eruption of colliding mana, the Seraphs were sent spiraling to the ground and all attacks had ceased. Gemini crashed into the pond of the Sage's home, barely managing to keep her head resting just above the water. Exhaustion then took over and she found herself unable to move the slightest muscle in her body.

Meanwhile, Yggdrasill had gotten to his feet and stumbled to a nearly collapsed wall to support himself. A gash was bleeding profusely from the flesh of his cheek and he brought his hand to his face muttering darkly under his breath, "I may have over done that…No matter…My point has been well made…I shall be back…"

With that the blonde half-elf took his leave and left nothing but the flames to rage through the destroyed town. Gemini's eyes fluttered to a close as she whispered before completely fading into unconsciousness, "Kratos…Yuan…I'm sorry…I couldn't bring him down…"

_**-Dirk's Home-**_

Lloyd could only smile. He stood beside the bed that he had slept in beside his wife and never had felt so…complete until he watched the scene before him. Colette was resting comfortably after quite a stressful delivery that had only been lightened by the arrival of their friends. Raine had immediately taken to getting her comfortable and Kratos worked to help Lloyd soothe her through the difficult parts. Finally, a healthy set of twins had been brought into the world, and into the arms of a loving family. In Colette's right arm rested a beautiful little girl with dark brown, almost auburn hair and bleary blue eyes. In her left rested a handsome little boy with pale blonde, almost white hair and dark brown eyes that were strangely clear and aware. The three of them were snuggled in the warmth and safety of the house and Lloyd stood protectively over them, daring anyone to attempt to harm them. It would surely be their end.

However, happiness was not the only emotion to overtake the duel swordsmen. Guilt wracked his heart. He had not been there for her during most of the pregnancy. Colette had been without her husband for nearly six months and during which, she was carrying not only the weight of bearing children, but concern for his own well-being. His dark brown eyes locked with Colette's blue ones as he whispered faintly. "I'm so sorry, Colette…I wasn't here…I wasn't here with you and I should have been."

She gently shook her head, being sure not to disturb the small children in her arms as she smiled and replied, "You came when it was most important. You came for them and they'll have a father who loves them. That's what matters most."

"I wouldn't want to be anywhere else," Lloyd answered with a smile as he leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. Meanwhile, Kratos stood near the door and watched over them, with a small smile on his face. This was a good family…this was a strong family…This was what he had meant for his own wife and son when he had been born…

_**-Flashback-**_

Kratos was walking back to the cave they had dashed into when Anna had gone into labor. Wrapped in his arms were blankets that he had bought from a nearby town and food for them to eat. It wasn't long before he found the two of them right where he had left them, safe and sound. Anna rested on a small bed made of whatever the swordsman could grab at the time and a cloak had been wrapped around her. In the female's weary arms rested the small bundle that was both of their pride and joy.

Lloyd…their son…he was so small. So defenseless. Yet, he refilled Kratos with a strength that he had long forgotten about. This little baby had reminded him of everything that he held dear and what made the man even more proud was the child reacted to the mere sound of his voice in an instant, "I'm back."

The little baby began to fuss, and would not be quieted until he rested sounded in the warmth of Kratos' arms. The swordsman smiled and shook his head. It was a wonder that he was not sure that he would ever understand, but one that he didn't want to end. Anna looked up at her husband and said, "He is definitely your son. He looks so much like you…although I don't think the innocence came from your side."

Kratos merely chuckled in response, "Indeed, it is a wonder. He certainly didn't get that from his mother."

A dark crimson color flushed across Anna's face and she shot daggers at him with her eyes. Kratos merely shrugged with a charming smile that he had never used since her death knelt down beside her and took her into his arms. The three of them were perfect. A dream that he never wanted to end. A life that he felt he didn't deserve, but would do anything to protect.

_**-End Flashback-**_

"Kratos…Yuan…I'm sorry…I couldn't bring him down…"

The Seraph jerked back to reality and felt as though he had been kicked in the chest. He looked at his son once more before deciding it was time to take action. He walked over to the bed and placed his hand on Lloyd's shoulder saying, "I have something that I must do. Stay here with your family. I'll return soon."

"Dad what-"

"Trust me, Lloyd," was all he said before turning on his heels and promptly walking down the stairs. At the bottom, he was met by a very pale, but determined looking Yuan.

"Did you hear her as well?" was all that the blue haired half-elf asked.

"Yes. We must hurry," Kratos answered hurriedly as he made for the door. Yuan meanwhile went over to Ula and gave the child a gentle hug before turning to his wife. She began to ask question, but he gently quieted her and reassured her that they would be back soon. Then without another word or protest, the two fighters left and rushed back to the town of Iselia…or rather what was left of it.

They stopped at the entrance where a large group of the villagers now stood. The mayor was in the middle of them, quickly pulling them together. He was calling out words of encouragement. They had rebuilt before. This time would be no different. All they needed to do was remain calm and think things through before tackling the situation. Kratos and Yuan easily slid by them unnoticed and walked through the wreckage. As they went, Yuan frowned and turned to his comrade saying, "The air is thick with mana…"

"I noticed that as well…and this is no ordinary mana…" Kratos agreed looking around and noticed that toward the direction of the Sage's old home, fragments of mana seemed to be forming. Without speaking, the two made their way over to it and watched at the concentrations of mana were either forming larger pools of it or disintegrating up into the sky. It wasn't until the two neared the yard of the home that they found the source of the distortion.

"Gemini!" they chorused as they sprung forward casting the strongest healing magic that they could perform before gently lifting her from the pond and placing her on the firm ground. The two could guess what had transpired in the battle and set to work on not only healing her physical injuries but also drawing the mana from the air back into the half-elf's body. It was tedious work and many curses were muttered under their breaths, but when they finally finished, the female was quick to regain consciousness.

"Nngh…" she groaned softly as she brought her hand up to her face. The silver-haired female slowly opened her eyes and looked up at the two leaning over her. She winced as though her body still ached and coughed while they sat back, giving her some air. Though she was still noticeably weak, Gemini pushed herself into a sitting position and grunted, "I used too much of my power in the fight against him…I couldn't keep up with him…Damn it."

"Are you alright?" Kratos asked simply, biting back the many questions that ran rampant through his mind. With a glance at Yuan it became clear that he was doing the same thing.

Gemini only sighed, "Heh, as fine as I can be in the current situation…I know I have a lot of explaining to do and I just hope you all don't think I've gone crazy by the end of it."

"Going crazy would insinuate that you weren't already there prior to this fiasco," Yuan stated plainly causing Kratos to shake his head. Gemini merely smiled ruefully. It was then, however that something dawned on the two of them causing them to fall into an uncomfortable silence. Gemini noticed this and remained quiet, regaining her strength while she waited for one of them to speak. It was Kratos who recovered.

"How is the seal?"

"Weak," she spat in anger and dug her nails into the dirt beside her. Refusing to make eye contact with either of them, she trembled slightly and forced her composure to remain perfectly intact while she continued, "…and it's only getting weaker. It won't be long before I can't keep it under control anymore."

Guilt struck the two males harder than any blade could. Yuan turned his head and looked away. Kratos brought his hand up to cover his face. Gemini, on the other hand, got to her feet and stepped away from them. After walking a few feet, she took a deep breath and opened the channels in her body, calling back the mana she had dispersed into the air around the town while she was protecting it. Kratos and Yuan did no disturb her while she did this and merely got to their feet. Each felt useless and helpless. Their minds were flashing back to the past and things they could have possibly done to stop their friend from suffering as she had. All the things they could have done, all the things they could have said and the very act they could have stopped haunted their every thought. It wasn't until Gemini walked back toward them until they could find their voices.

"Gemini…it's our fault what's happened to you…" Kratos murmured looking down at the ground where they had found her.

"No apologies could ever take it back…but-" Yuan began until Gemini promptly smacked both of them. Shock washed over the fighters and they looked at her while she crossed her arms tightly over her breast.

"It doesn't matter now and brooding over it won't solve anything. What we have to worry about now, is helping not only the people of Iselia rebuild, but making sure the group is ready to fight Yggdrasill as he is now. Something tells me that he won't be back for some time. I assume that he is going to be focused on regaining his strength and somehow getting some back up. We could always seek him out, but you know as well as I that it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack. Almost impossible and a practical waste of time. So, we should train instead. Are you with me?"

At first they were quiet. Then smiles that no one in their current company had ever seen before broke across the fighters faces. Knowing that she had won, Gemini threw out her hand palm faced down and grinned like a bird fed cat. Kratos merely shook his head and placed his hand atop of hers replying, "I have this incessant feeling that I'm going to regret this at some later point."

"Don't we always…hopefully her influence doesn't rub off on the kids," Yuan laughed and did the same. The three looked between one another before breaking free and made their way toward where the villagers of Iselia were all still bickering about what to do next. Gemini sighed softly and glanced over her shoulder at her friends.

"You keep those boneheads busy. I'm gonna put these fires out."

"How-"

"Just trust me, Kratos."

"Very well."

_**-Chapter End-**_

**There we go. That was a little more involved fight scene than I originally had written out. A lot more fun to write. Hehe. Whelp, I hope you all continue to read and enjoy. Drop a review if you'd like and let me know how I'm doing. Or not, your choice. Anyway, I'm already working on the next chapter and how I'm going to work that together…hmmm… See ya soon.**


	6. Exbelua

**Hehe. I'm glad that this one is better than the original and I have to say, after rewriting this, I have actually come up with so many ideas for it. I hope everyone enjoys these upcoming chapters and then when I've finished rewriting the real fun begins. Although I've noticed that by the time I reach chapter 11 in this rewrite, I might still be rewriting instead of getting to new content…Please be patient if you're rereading. I promise this will be worth it in the long run. This chapter, however, is going to be a lot better than what it originally was hehe…enjoy.**

_**-Chapter Start-**_

___**Chapter 6: Exbelua**_

Gemini slowly stepped back while Kratos and Yuan moved to speak with the Mayor. The silver haired half-elf shook her head to shake away the stupor. Her arm ached painfully but she pushed those thoughts to the side. Yuan and Kratos had done their best to heal what they could, but they were better suited for fighting than healing. Gemini took in a deep breath and moved farther into the town, just out of sight of the people. Once she was content that she was safely out of sight, the female took in a deep breath focusing her power once again. Soon, she felt her strength renewed and she clasped her hands together as she knelt on the ground. Considering the fact that she was not in battle, Gemini had more time to focus and the circle of mana slowly began to encircle her, far more controlled than it had been in the battle again Yggdrasill. The angelic language slowly began to scrawl across the ground and she began to chant once again, "By mana be called, Summon Spirit Undine, for you have a plea to please be heard. Take what is offered and grant me thy strength of your serene waters to smother the flames that ravage this innocent town…Aqua Torentus!"

As before, when the last word left her mouth, a large amount of her mana was taken from her body. Due to the fact that she was still recovering from the recent battle, she couldn't even catch herself from falling to the ground face first. She laid there for a moment in a daze until she felt a drop of something cold plot onto her cheek. It seemed to draw her back into reality and Gemini pushed herself to her knees to look up at the sky. Rain clouds had condensed above the town and it was a matter of time before the half-elf's silver hair was sticking to her forehead from the drenching downpour. A small smile graced Gemini's features as she whispered, "Thank you my friend."

As she moved to stand, her knees buckled once more and before the half-elf was sure as to what had happened, Kratos was at her side, keeping her from falling a second time. The auburn-haired swordsman's eyes were severe as he stated, "It would seem that you have not lost your tendencies to over exert yourself and your energy."

She laughed, "I have not changed much since the last you saw me."

"I have my doubts about that," Yuan stated as he too made the scene. Gemini arched her eyebrow at him questioningly and he rolled his eyes. This caused the female elf to grin ruefully as they steadied her on her own feet. Once they were sure that she was strong enough to move, the three left the town to head for Dirk's house to see how the new parents and friends were doing. They moved slowly, gingerly; each regaining their strength from the battle they had endured. The continued downpour chilled their bones, but also eased much of their pent up aggression. It quite literally washed away their desire to fight. All the while they were quiet. By the group of three had reached Dirk's home, most of their composure had been restored and it was almost as though they had fully recovered. Gemini slowed to a stop just outside of the house and her dark-red eyes wondered toward the grave just off to the side. She knew, beyond the shadow of a doubt, who it belonged to and the female felt the need to visit it before once again making an appearance in Lloyd Irving's life. She turned to face the other two Seraphs, but before she could say anything, Yuan had placed a soothing hand on her shoulder and said, "Take your time. We'll be waiting inside once you are ready."

"…Thank you," she replied before turning on her heel and walking straight toward the grave without another word. She stopped a few feet away from it and knelt to the ground, placing her hand respectfully at the base of the grave. She closed her eyes and allowed her mind to drift.

_**-Flashback-**_

Gemini thrust her chakram forward, effectively sending the rampaging wolf reeling back from the direct attack to the side of its head. Sweat was dripping from her brow and the silver-haired female's eyes were alight in rage. Mana was radiating wildly from her form and to those who were not used to such dense concentrations of it, it was enough to make them feel sick to their stomachs. Such was the effect that a Mana Wielder had on others. There was a growl from her left and as she spun on her left heel, her right leg flew through the air to promptly roundhouse kick another wolf that had attempted to lunge at her. An explosion of concentrated mana erupted on contact and the creatures ribs caved in on itself, puncturing its lungs and heart. With the monster dead, the half-elf turned her steely gaze on the rest of the pack that was beginning to pace in fear.

That was when a shocked and somewhat pained cry ripped through the air causing Gemini's heart to fall. Upon turning to see her auburn-haired, purple-clad companion kneeling beside a brunette female who's pregnant belly had swollen as though it were ready to pop, she felt as though ice had been dumped down her back. Dashing to stand beside the swordsman, Gemini looked down and said, "Kratos…what's happened to Anna?"

Her eyes were wide as she noticed a puddle just beneath the female who was practically doubled over the ground. The salt from her sweat stung the female eyes and she couldn't be sure if the puddle beneath her friend was blood or something else. Although the words Anna spoke next were chilling to the half-elf, "My…my water…just broke."

To make things worse, at that exact moment, Gemini heard the flapping of wings about twenty meters away from their current location. Her body went rigid as she realized what she was hearing. The angels Yggdrasill had sent after them had closed the gap in the time it took for them to be ambushed by the wolves. Options were limited and Gemini knew, she would have to act fast. She spun on the wolves and in one fluid motion, shot forth a beam of concentrated mana straight through the pack. This effectively sent the surviving monsters running with their tails between their legs and Gemini released her blood red wings from her back. She stared back at the couple on the ground and said, "Listen you two. Do you remember the cave we passed just off the side of the path? Get to it and pull the vines over the entrance. Anna, I need you to relax and worry about the baby from this point on. Do not, I repeat, do not concern yourself with anything else! Kratos, hide yourselves well and make sure Anna is comfortable. I will handle everything else and meet you back there, understand?"

"G-Gemini!" Anna tried to protest but gasped with the pain of a contraction.

"Don't question me…I want to see the life you two bring into the world, but in order to do that, you have to be safe. I'll handle the rest," Gemini smiled before soaring off to meet the angels head on to give the two expecting parents the time they needed.

_**-Flashback Ends-**_

Gemini slowly opened her eyes and took a deep breath before saying, "I managed to keep you safe when you gave birth to Lloyd, Anna…I was lucky enough to do the same for your son and his wife…I hope I did you proud…I owe you more than you will ever know."

A warm feeling washed over her and felt as though, even if it was only for a moment, that Anna was smiling at her from beyond the grave. Then, the half-elf got to her feet and slowly trudged back toward the front of the house, but before she reached the door she was intercepted by Noishe who barred her way. At first she was shocked, but soon a large grin broke out across her face. She didn't say a word, but instead rushed forward and immediately started scratching the protozoan behind the ears, the way she had when they had been traveling together before. In a matter of minutes, the creature was on the ground happily enjoying the attention and Gemini was laughing to herself. Once he was satisfied, Noishe gave her a kiss across the face before trotting back to his little hut. Gemini chuckled and wiped her face saying, "Silly dog…thing…"

She took a moment to compose herself. Then Gemini turned and slowly opened the door, lifting her head to see everyone instantly focus on her when she entered the house. She averted her eyes and debated on stepping back out until a tall half-elf female with sharp eyes walked over to her and gently took her sore arm into her grip. Used to pain, Gemini didn't even flinch and looked back at her with an unfathomable expression. This seemed to startle the female and her expression softened somewhat, "I'm sorry…my name is Raine…I am a healer and I just want to make sure that you're fully healed…I did the same for Kratos and Yuan as well…"

Gem was silent for a minute before nodding with a smile, "I understand."

Raine quickly went about to accessing her injuries and it wasn't long before she was introduced to the rest of the group. Gemini was polite, but ultimately quiet. Once everything checked out, she was directed up the stairs to where Frank, Phaidra, Kratos, Dirk, Lloyd, Colette, and the newborn babes were resting. She paused on the stairs before fully stepping through the door and saw a sight that made her tilt her head to the side. It was so peaceful…so calm…so loving…it was full of emotions that Gemini had not seen in such a long time. She felt as though she were intruding.

Kratos stood with one of the bundles gently resting in his arms. Upon further inspection, Gemini noticed that it was the little girl in his arms. Meanwhile, Lloyd cradled his son close to him, lost in the moment of perfection he saw reflected back in the baby's eyes. It was Colette that noticed someone else had entered the room. She moved her long golden hair from her face and fixed her weary, blue eyes on Gemini with a small smile. She motioned for the half-elf to come into the room and said, "So you're Gemini. Lloyd told me a lot about you. Thank you so much for getting him home and saving us."

Gemini shook her head, "No need to thank me…I actually am in Lloyd's debt…I would still be stuck in that prison if it wasn't for him…and please, call me Gem," the silver-haired female said with a small shake of her head. She wasn't accustomed to people paying her such gratitude. It had been a long time since she had surrounded herself with people who were kind to her…back when Mithos was still himself…and Martel was still alive. Thus Colette's kind words were quite unnecessary in the half-elf's mind.

"We're even then," Lloyd said with a smile before returning his attention back to the small boy in his arms. Gemini calmly moved closer to them and leaned against the wall, getting a closer view on the scene. Kratos and Lloyd gently handed the small bundles over to Phaidra and Frank who were beyond themselves as the small children in their arms. For the first time in such a long time, the half-elf smiled and felt as though she was content. She reminisced on how similar the scene before her was to a memory of her past, the night that Lloyd had been brought into the world. It was astounding how history had a knack for replaying the good moments when it felt the need to. Once again, Gemini decided in that singular moment of hearing the infants cry and being placed into their mother's arms, that she would protect their family to her dying breath. She vowed that she would keep them safe and happy…no matter what Yggdrasill tried to throw at them.

It came time for the young ones to be fed and Gemini bowed out. As she made her way down the stairs, she found it was far too easy to sneak out of the house without being noticed. For a moment she was almost sure that Yuan would follow her, but his daughter could be quite demanding of her father when she found the desire to be so. Gemini slowly moved to the closest tree beside the house and pressed her back against it. As she closed her eyes, the silver-haired elf slid down the trunk and rested in a sitting position. Just as she felt she could relax, a fairly unwelcome voice began echoing through her mind.

"Why…why do you still fight me?" Yggdrasill asked demandingly. Gemini winced at the sound of his voice and held her head.

"That's…my own choice…get…get out of my head," she hissed in response as a shot of pain raced through her temples. Her body began to tremble involuntarily and she felt sweat beading across her forehead, "G-Go away…d-damn you…"

"You owe your life to me…Or have you forgotten your promise, my old friend. You owe me and I am the only person who will ever understand you," Yggdrasill howled in reply.

"I forget nothing! I made that promise to Mithos! Not this husk that you have become!"

"You were once like me. Rejected by both halves of yourself, elves and human alike… What makes now any different? Why makes you think you have a place amongst them now?" Yggdrasill questioned causing her to shake her head vigorously, as though she were trying to shake him from her thoughts.

"I made a promise…I don't care if I'm accepted…so long as I can fulfill that promise or die trying. Now leave me!" Gemini roared commandingly. It wasn't long before she felt his presence leave her mind and she exhaled in relief. She allowed her head to fall back against the tree trunk and she struggled to calm herself. Yet she wasn't lost in her thoughts for long. It would seem her absence had been noticed and someone had come to retrieve her. She was sure that it would be Yuan, but when she opened her eyes, she was shocked to see Zelos standing there with his arms crossed as he looked down at her.

"Can I ask you a question?" he inquired suddenly making her blink wearily at him.

"I…suppose that would be alright," Gemini stammered, running her hand through her damp hair. The rain she had called earlier had died down and was now reduced to a light drizzle. She moved to stand, but Zelos motioned for her that it would not be necessary. So she relaxed and waited for him to continue.

"First I want to thank you for what you did back there. You single handedly saved all of us and made sure that we got Colette to safety so she could deliver her kids…not only that but you managed to get Bud back home too…but…I was talking to Sheena and she sensed that Efreet and Undine's mana was being used…She's the only summoner that has a pact with them at the moment…" the red haired swordsman fixed his intent eyes on her and Gemini merely smiled. She looked up at him and brought her hand before her with her palm facing up. She allowed a bit of her mana to flow from her fingers before him and molded it to look like a glowing rose before changing it to look like a glowing heart. Then she recalled it and smiled at him.

"You want to know how I was able to use their powers without Sheena's permission. The answer is simple. As I'm sure that Yuan's wife has told you already, I am a Mana Wielder. We're a rare group who are able to take the very mana in our bodies and mold it into something that we can use. Depending on how we specialize it to our own personalities, some can create weapons from it. Others can directly link their mana to that of others and heal or, in a sense, super charge them. I have…decided to link my mana with the world itself…my being is close to our world… I can sense when the balance is thrown askew… and when the world is dying…By doing so, the Summon Spirits have allowed me to link my life with them…and call upon them so long as I give them the mana I can to bring them directly to me…It is of course returned in time…But initially its draining…Anyway, I hope that answered your direct unasked question," Gemini smiled as she looked up at him and slowly got to her feet. She placed her hands on her hips and said, "However, due to our abilities, Mana Wielders are not particularly accepted by anyone. People say we play with the life of the planet too freely and thus are despised…similar to half-elves but on a much grander scale…we were actually hunted to be rid of…Not to be wanted to exist in this world."

Zelos was unable to speak at first. She was so direct with him…so blunt…how could she say such things without even blinking? He looked at her seriously for a moment before shaking his head saying, "I have no words for that…but I do have this. You brought us back our friend when we needed him most and not only did you fight for him, but all of our lives as well…I know what it's like to be around people who never wanted you born…though not to your extent…but you're here now and there are people who want you here now. That's what important."

"Such wise words…from a womanizer…" Gemini said with a joking wink. He only laughed and turned to lead her back into the house where the rest of the group was waiting to learn more about their new companion.

_**-Three Years Pass-**_

Lloyd slowed to a stop just outside of Iselia. He ran a gloved hand through his brown hair and glanced over the entrance. So much had happened…so much had gone on. It was around eight years ago when he had been banished from Iselia…Now they welcomed him and his family to their hearts…he shook his head and continued into the town. Things had indeed worked out for the better. With Gemini and Kratos around to help, money was not the problem it once had been to the swordsman. Colette would watch the children and Lloyd would go out with the other two experienced fighters and safely earn the money he needed. Not only that, but they were never without help. The rest of his friends still feared an attack from Yggdrasill and so they all had stayed.

As he walked he exchanged pleasantries with the bustling people. They were preparing for something that had become a bit of a tradition that Gemini had quite unwittingly inspired. It was the beginning of Spring and when the group had discovered her nurturing a small blossoming garden singing, they decided that they too would celebrate the time. Everyone added their own ideas to it and from there the idea took off on a much grander scale to the point where even the people of Iselia wanted to have a part in it. Thus they were in the thick of their preparations for it. It was not far away.

He soon rounded the corner to come into the view of the schoolyard. Just behind the school, playing in the grass was Gemini surrounded by Ula, who was now five, the three year old twins Luccia and Liam, and Sheena's son Sye. The female cheiftan's son looked so much like her and her husband even at such a young age that it was amusing. He had black hair that was growing rather long for his age and bright blue eyes that shared his mother's endless mystery. Meanwhile, Luccia and Liam continued to resemble as they had when they were born. Ula on the other hand, look more and more like her father every day. The smaller children were taking turns hanging on her while she was instructing the very bright Ula on some simple magic, such as healing minor cuts and scrapes. Her dark red eyes were alight with joy and Lloyd paused before approaching them. He crossed his arms and wondered…had she been like that when he was a child?

"You know…I haven't seen her like that since she last held you in her arms when you were trying to wake your mother for attention," Kratos chuckled from behind the swordsman. He slowly turned around and met the eyes of his father. They shared and laugh and looked back at the scene.

"You know dad…it's been three years now that she's been with us…She's opened up and become a part of our group…but I feel like she's still hiding something…" Lloyd sighed shaking his head somewhat.

"What do you mean, Lloyd?" Kratos asked curiously as he arched his eyebrow at his son.

"It's…more like pain…when I am around her, I feel like she's forcing herself to smile… I feel like she's in so much pain, but she won't let any of us see it. Not to mention…she's paler…like she's sick or something. It's like her body is…deteriorating or something. It might just be stress though…I mean, all of us are one edge in case Yggdrasill attacks but-" Lloyd began to explain until Kratos calmly cut him off.

"There is a part of Gemini that only Mithos, Yuan and I know about…and I pray that no one else ever need find out about it, Lloyd…" the Seraph said as his eyes darkened at the mere thought of it. That was enough to silence the red clad swordsman and slowly the rest of their group began to converge on the spot. It was time for the children to be put down for a nap and sensing this, Gemini slowly got to her feet leading the small ones around her toward their parents. Ula looked mildly irritated that her training session had been interrupted but the other children weren't bothered in the slightest. They ran into their parents' arms and Gemini slowly lifted Ula onto her shoulders.

"Don't pout little one. Later I will tell you the story of Fire as it was passed onto me. Now, it is time for your nap. Don't you give your parents any trouble now," she laughed shaking her head somewhat. She handed the young child into the hands of her mother and Lloyd caught her looking at him seriously for a moment before glancing away. The brown-haired swordsman glanced over his two children as their mother held them tightly to her breast and then back to the silver haired elf who had suddenly become very tense. Gemini raised her eyes to the sky as a strange wind began to blow through the town. At first no one else seemed to notice it…Lloyd was only aware of something amiss due to the fact that Gemini was acting so strangely. He looked over her and noticed that her face seemed almost gaunt…like she was on the verge of falling unconscious at any moment. The mere sight of her made Lloyd concerned for her well-being, but he knew all too well that Gemini would not allow anyone to worry about her. So he instead focused on what seemed to distract her.

"Gem…what's wrong?" he asked causing everyone to focus on the female. Sheena, Colette, and Raine each held their children closer to them while Yuan, Zelos, Kratos and Lloyd all moved closer to them. Genis, Regal, and Presea tightened their ranks around the rest of the group while the rest of the people of Iselia went about their preparations for the upcoming festival. No one was disturbed in the slightest by the wind that was picking up to the point where it was pulling leaves off trees and ripping the new blossoms from blooming flowers.

"This wind…something's not right…it's not natural…Sheena, by any chance…would you have summoned the Sylph at all today by any chance?" Gemini wondered without looking away from the sky that was now beginning to darken. Her dark red eyes were focused and only Lloyd was paying enough attention to notice her tightly balling her hands into fists.

"N-No, why?" Sheena answered in a rush as she straightened up, holding her small child close between her large breasts. Sye held onto to her robe tightly and the small children were not so immature as to notice that a change had occurred in the adults surrounding them.

"Then things are about to get very busy around here…Perhaps it would be wiser to get the children to the safety of Dirk's house…in the meantime, I'm sensing a large source of power amounting just outside the entrance of Iselia…I think we need to strike while the iron is hot-" just as the last syllable left her mouth a large gust of wind ripped through the entire town effectively taking the roof off of one of the nearby buildings. Gemini leapt into action as her wings shot from her back and she leapt into the air, turning the wood to dust and splinters with a well-placed mana blast. She hovered in the air for a moment as she stared at the spot where she had mentioned she sensed a power amassing there. Her angelic senses honed in on the spot and she flared out her mana protectively around the town. She stared down at the group and said, "Enough standing around! Let's gear into action here! I'm going to stop this wind from destroying Iselia and then I'm heading to the source!"

"Alright everyone! Colette, Sheena, Raine, you three get the kids to our house. They should be safe there. Genis, Zelos, Regal, Yuan and Dad let's go meet our old friend before he causes any more trouble!" Lloyd called out rallying everyone together. It wasn't long before they had left to go to their respective destination and Gemini rose higher into the midst of the whirling winds. She squinted her eyes to avoid dirt and other things getting into them and she grit her teeth. It was time for her to do something…well downright reckless. She had been working on calling the power of the Summon Spirits to her aid and taking less of her power in the process, but at the current moment, she was in midair…quite a perilous place to give up any portion of mana to weaken her. It was a shame that she had little choice in the matter. The half-elf placed her hands out before her and closed her eyes, focusing as much power as she could into her palms before her.

"By mana be called, Summon Spirit Sylph, for you have a plea to please be heard. Take what is offered and grant me thy strength of your ever changing winds to restore a balance that has been harmed. Swirling Edge!" Gemini called as she released all her pent up mana for the Spirits to use. Soon the winds began to die, but not fully leave. Sweat was dripping down the side of her face as Gemini glanced around and saw that the town was still being torn up from the wind. She winced and stammered, "What's going on?"

"Something strange has happened…We cannot stop this strange wind with the current amount of mana you offered. We either need to be summoned by the pact master or you must offer more mana to sustain the process," Sephie's voice echoed through the far reaches of her mind. The thought shocked her and she closed her eyes tightly once more.

"Take whatever you need. Just stop this wind!" Gemini cried shaking her head. In one quick moment, she felt herself grow extremely weak. Her wings fluttered behind her and the half-elf's mind blurred. Her head fell back and she plummeted out of the sky to crash through the roof of the school house. A startled group of villagers watched in horror as her form went straight through the splintering wood. No one moved to help her and instead were awed by the wind dying down once more. The sky lightened up once again and it looked as though things would return to normal. Everyone began to heave a sigh of relief and three people moved toward the school house to see if the female half-elf was alive.

Then a scream erupted from the front of the entrance of Iselia. People retreated deeper into the town as a group of spear wielding angels flew toward the people. The scene was chilling. Without the group of fighters who often protected them, the villagers were practically helpless and the angels would not have mercy just because they would not fight back. The villagers were scrambling to get out of the way in time. Meanwhile the Mayor stood in front of his fellow people and shook his head muttering, "This can't be happening again…after all the rebuilding we've done…you can't just come in a destroy that again. GO AWAY!"

"Ugh…C-calm down you old coot…I-I'm here…" a strained voice broke out from behind all of them. The people spun around to see Gemini standing there behind them with her hands on her hips. Various cuts and gashes decorated her body, most notably a bleeding gash just below her eye that had stained the front of her outfit in crimson. She was breathing raggedly and her wings were flickering behind her as she walked to meet the angels that had descended on the people. It was clear to everyone standing there that she was in bad shape but there was not much they could do.

"Are you sure you can handle this?" the Mayor asked incredulously as she seemed to sway on her feet. In moments, her blood red eyes were focused on him.

"Do you think you can take them?" she snapped in reply.

"N-no…"

"Then we've an understanding. Get your people to safety. I'll handle the rest."

_**-Lloyd's Group-**_

"I've got a bad feeling about this…Don't let your guards down," Zelos called out to his comrades as they slowed to a stop. They were standing in the direct middle of the road between the House of Salvation before reaching Triet and Iselia. The fighters tightened their grips around their weapons and struggled to remain calm. They all turned to be standing in a circle with their backs against one another, being sure to cover every angle that they could.

"Agreed…our enemy is one that will strike when we are weakest…Do not give him that opportunity," Kratos agreed and took that moment to sharpen his senses, honing on anything that seemed out of place. It was then that his angelic hearing picked up on something and his eyes shot to the sky as he shouted, "Watch out!"

The group of fighters barely managed to dodge out of the way of a Holy Lance as it came crashing down on the exact spot they once stood. Lloyd and Kratos were the first ones back on their feet and they witnessed Yggdrasill appear in the air above them. He lowered himself to the ground while Kratos and his son advanced with their weapons drawn. Lloyd tightened his grip around the hilt of his blades and he growled, "We're ready for you this time, Yggdrasill. You're not going to harm anyone anymore."

"You are the ones who fell for my lure, pathetic inferior being. This fight will be your end!" the blonde angel sneered in hateful reply. Kratos grit his teeth and dashed forward with his sword raised.

"I cannot allow you to put my family in danger any longer! You must fall!"

The rest of the group was on their feet in seconds and they too rushed into the fight with the father and son duo. Yggdrasill only scoffed at their feeble group of fighters and flew into a harsh battle with them.

_**-Iselia-**_

Gemini smacked into the ground with such force that her head bounced across the dirt. She barely caught the spear that was heading for her chest and struggled to keep it from piercing her skin. Sweat was stinging her eyes and the angel was bearing down on her with such ferocity that she was unable to move. So far she had managed to slay quite a few of the other enemies and forced the rest to retreat. The only remaining enemy was the one that now had Gemini pinned down on the ground. Weakened and exhausted, the half-elf was reaching the point where she could almost pass out from the strain she had endured. The half-elf growled to herself and muttered, "I…argh, sure as hell…didn't expect to be put down before….I got a chance to go after Yggdrasill…myself…ugh!"

Her arm suddenly gave a bit beneath the weight of the angel and the tip of the spear nearly pierced her chest. Then someone called out and before anything else could be said, a gleaming chakram smashed into the side of the enemy's head. The spear was ripped clean out of Gemini's hand and the angel was effectively taken care of. While the silver-haired half-elf slowly pushed herself to sit she heard Raine call out, "First Aid!"

A rejuvenating light sparked out over her and when it passed, Gemini was able to stand on her feet to meet Colette, Sheena, and Raine running up toward her. She was slowly regaining most of her mana back from summoning the Sylph, but was still somewhat shaky on her feet. She brushed the hair from her face and said, "Thank you for the help…I was overpowered and unable to get a stable foot in the battle."

"Are you alright now?" Sheena asked looking around at the buildings and the people hiding in their doorways. It seemed that Gemini had minimized the damage the Yggdrasill attempted to wreak, but had done so at a great cost to her own physical being. The cheiftan shook her head and crossed her arms, "The kids are at Dirk's place right now. If we can head off Yggdrasill before he heads this way then they should be safe."

"Are you up for that, Gemini?" Raine asked looking over the weary female before her.

Gem merely nodded, "I'll be alright. The rest of our friends should've already found Yggdrasill by this point and will need our help. We can't waste any more time."

_**-At The Fight Against Yggdrasill-**_

"Dang…Sorry Bud," Zelos gasped falling to his knees beside Regal and Genis who were already unconscious from the hits they had taken from their enemy. The red-haired chosen dug his blade into the dirt to steady himself for a moment more and tried to focus on what he had been doing before Yggdrasill had slammed him into a tree. He was just about to finish the healing spell when the attack struck him…now he was in need of someone to heal him. Finally he could no longer stay conscious and fell forward to lie on the ground motionlessly.

"I won't allow you to heal your fallen," Yggdrasill state smugly as he lowered his hand from casting the spell. There was a satisfied little smile curling his lips.

"Zelos!" Lloyd called out to his friend worriedly. The swordsman's eyes were alight with rage and he lunged toward the Seraph with a renewed determination to strike him down. His thrusts were fueled with a tremendous amount of power and sensing this, Yggdrasill quickly transported clear out of sight. Lloyd froze on the spot and spun around trying to locate where he had gone. Meanwhile Kratos was getting to his feet once again from being knocked back and shook the shock from his head.

"You truly are such a pathetic inferior being. After eight years, one would think that you had gained at least some proficiency and intelligence in battle," Yggdrasill's voice cut from Lloyd's side. Just as he spun around to react, he was instantly disarmed and he felt Yggdrasill's hands close around his throat. Lloyd was then lifted clean off of the ground and no matter how he thrashed to get away, Yggdrasill merely tightened his grip.

"Release him, Yggdrasill!" Kratos roared in fury as he rushed his old friend. He was effectively stopped by a spear wielding angel flying directly in front of him and catching him unaware. In order to guard himself from the assault, Kratos was sent reeling back to land on the ground beside Yuan who was trying to aid his comrade and keep the angels at bay. Kratos wiped the sweat and dirt from his face saying, "Damn it! Lloyd!"

"Kratos…these angels…are the special ones that Yggdrasill was developing!" Yuan gasped as the realization dawned on him.

"Little…wonder why they're putting up a decent fight," Kratos responded through ragged breaths.

"Dad…" Lloyd whimpered as his vision began to blur. His body went limp from lack of oxygen and the Seraph reared back in an attempt throw him away, but at that moment a strange force slammed into the side of Yggdrasill causing him to drop Lloyd onto the ground. Kratos did a double take. A silver-haired female was rolling away from the rest of them with Yggdrasill locked in her attack. Meanwhile Colette darted forward to kneel beside her husband, gently shaking him awake. Sheena immediately lunged into combat with the angels that were keeping Yuan pinned and Raine moved to heal those who had been knocked unconscious. Kratos got to his feet once more and ran over to where his son rested in Colette's arms.

"Come on, Lloyd," Colette whispered as she gently tried to wake him. Tears were burning the rims of her eyes and she was trembling somewhat. Lloyd's face was pale and it looked like he had indeed stopped breathing.

"You're an Aurion…you don't die," Kratos stated calmly and looked at Colette warningly. The blonde female looked somewhat startled, but sat back allowing her father in law to do whatever he needed to. Kratos nodded appreciatively and then reached out to promptly smack his son across the face. In response, Lloyd jerked awake, gasping and choking for air. His eyes shot right open and he looked around wildly, trying to figure out what was going on. Kratos steadied his son and smirked at his resilience before saying, "Now that you've rejoined us, let's-"

Before Kratos could finish his thought, an aggravated scream ripped through air and everyone's attention focused on Gemini who was thrown back off of Yggdrasill. She stumbled back in an attempt to regain her footing, but was cut short as an explosion of mana slammed into the middle of her chest. The impact sent her soaring through the air until she crashed right into Kratos, bowling them both into the ground and skidding across the dirt. Lloyd and Colette jumped to their feet and watched as Yggdrasill quickly advanced on them. Instinctively, Lloyd pushed his wife protectively behind him and threw up his arm defensively to protect against whatever Yggdrasill had in store. The blonde Seraph drew back his arm and focused a large amount of mana in his hand. As he prepared his attack, Yggdrasill shouted, "This will be the end of you Lloyd Irving!"

"No! Yggdrasill, stop!" Gemini howled as she jumped to her feet. Alas she was too late and her dark red eyes widened in horror as Yggdrasill grabbed the swordsman's arm. He twisted Lloyd's arm so much that it brought him to his knees and his target was just in front of the angel's face. Lloyd's exsphere was right where Yggdrasill could see it and he thrust the hand that was charging up an explosion of mana right onto the jewel. Lloyd cried out in pain at the attack and then Yggdrasill released the pent up mana straight into the Key Crest around the exsphere. Gemini rushed forward yelling, "No!"

Yggdrasill threw back his head with his trademark maniacal laughed and as he did so a loud cracking sound echoed through the sky. When the Seraph withdrew his hand, shattered pieces of Lloyd's Key Crest to fall to the ground and Lloyd stumbled back, sweating profusely as he held his arm close to his body. He began to tremble violently and his very form seemed to be bubbling right before their very eyes. Not long after, a blinding flash ensued. Gemini barely caught sight of Yggdrasill taking to the sky to get out of harm's way before she could no longer see. It took some time for them to see clearly once again and when they had, it was Kratos who caught sight of his son first. All the color drained from his face and he stumbled back, as his mind spun back to the day of Anna's death, "No…not my son too…"

Lloyd towered above them all in his mutated body and his skin was a dark-bloody red that seemed to be running in a constant motion. The sheer power that radiated from his body was staggering and his one eye was a bright shining gold color that was surrounded by a blue lining, much along the shades of the exsphere that was slammed into his hand. Overall, he looked much like the previous Exbelua's that the group had encountered before, except that the pure raw power that Lloyd possessed had made him clearly bigger, faster, and stronger than all the rest. He staggered toward Kratos and Colette before suddenly throwing his arms into the ground and letting out a threatening roar into the sky. Everyone flinched as his cry seemed to shake the ground on which they stood and Lloyd began to swing his arms around destructively. In that moment he lost absolutely all control over his own actions and he went after the closest person… who just happened to be Kratos.

"Lloyd! He's your father! Stand down! No, Lloyd!" Gemini howled as she darted forward as fast as she possibly could to intercept Lloyd before he could reach his father. Gemini's heart was pounding. She knew that Kratos would never raise his sword against Lloyd in his current form. Not only was it his son, but it reminded him far too much of what became of Anna. Gemini would have to be the one that kept Lloyd at bay.

"Lloyd! Please, Professor, you have to help him!" Colette cried as Raine, Regal, Yuan, Presea, Genis, and Zelos all moved to stand behind her. Lloyd was heading straight for them and not a single one felt they had the strength or the ability to fight their friend.

"I wish I could, but I can't Colette," Raine answered bowing her head and covering her face with her hand, "At this moment, he's beyond my ability to heal…it would only make the situation worse."

"Kratos! Get out of the way you fool! He can't stop himself and he won't be able to stop himself from taking you down!" Gemini screamed desperately as Lloyd came to a stop mere feet from where his father stood frozen in shock. The auburn-haired swordsman's weapon slipped out of his grip and as it fell to the ground, the mutated Exbelua Lloyd stabbed his arm straight toward Kratos' heart. By this point, tears were spilling from the corners of Gemini's eyes as she pushed herself as fast as she could. If she didn't make it in time, Lloyd was going to kill his father.

"NO LLOYD!"

Kratos' sword finally hit the ground and like perfect clockwork, Lloyd's attack made its own contact. A collective gasp rippled through the group and blood splattered out from the wound. The force of the blow caused the crimson stain to splash against the victim, the attacker, and everyone around within a three foot radius. A choked rattle of pain escaped the victim's lips and all time seemed to freeze as blood poured from the deep wound onto the claws of Lloyd and ground at their feet.

"I…knew…this would happen…"

_**-Chapter End-**_

**Whelp there's that chapter for ya. Just in time for Thanksgiving. If you celebrate it, I hope you all enjoy a large feast of great food tomorrow. If not, still have a great day. Now, I'm going to go update one of my other stories and then I'll finish rewriting this one. Gotta do my best to multi-task you know. So anyone wanna tell me what you thought of this chapter? If not, I'll see you all in the next chapter. I hope you all enjoyed.**


	7. A Half-Elf's Skill

**Alright…already on chapter seven. This is going quite well. Don't have much to say this time around so I hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

_**-Chapter Start-**_

**Chapter 7: A Half-Elf's Skill**

"Ge…Gemini," Kratos croaked in stunned realization as was he snapped back to the reality before him by the voice that had spoken. Said half-elf was standing with her back to the auburn haired swordsman as she was hunched over the arm that was firmly buried into the middle of her abdomen. The color was quickly draining from her skin as she tightly clutched the limb that was now keeping her standing on her own feet. She opened her mouth to speak, but all she could do was cough. Everything and everyone seemed frozen in time. Kratos stood mere feet from the two and seemed unable to move a single inch. The rest of the group were firmly planted in the places where they were prior and the looks on their faces told that they couldn't even begin to comprehend what had just occurred. Even Lloyd in his mutated form had stopped all movement and looked over the female now hanging on his arm. Gemini on the other hand, looked as though she truly knew this was going to happen from the beginning. As her body began to tremble, her coughing turned into a quiet, but steady weak laugh.

"I…can't keep my…promise to Anna without…being able to stand some pain, now can I?" she gasped as her head slowly looked up to reveal her pale face. Her eyes were dulled and it was clear that the female was on her last legs. Her eyes locked on the golden eye of her 'attacker' and she grit her teeth before whispering, "It would seem you take after…Anna a little too much, Lloydie."

As if reacting to the mention of his mother, Lloyd suddenly came to life once more and roared as he thrust Gemini to the side. She was slung from him like a ragdoll and collapsed on the ground a few feet away unmoving. Instead of continuing on his intended path of his father, however, Lloyd turned his attention to a certain tearful blonde. He advanced toward her, raising the arm that housed his exsphere high over his head and prepared to bring it down with all the power he could muster.

"Run Colette!" Genis called out as he reached for his weapon. A mixture of fear and pain flashed through his eyes. The mere thought of fighting his best friend was tearing him apart inside.

"I…I can't…" Colette stammered nearing hysterics. She quickly dodged to the side as his attack came bearing down and ran to a temporary safe distance. The hulking figure ripped his hand out of the dirt and turned back on her once again. Lloyd moved slowly as he approached her once again and Colette turned to Raine gasping, "Can't you heal him professor? Please?!"

"I can't Colette…it's the manner in which the Key Crest was destroyed. Yggdrasill pressed it so far into his hand that it set off a reaction. Not to mention that his exsphere is so special…It's very possible that Lloyd…has turned into something we can't…" Rain seemed unable to even finish her thought. Sadness weighed on her very being and the gloom was quickly descending on the others as well.

Lloyd threw his arms into the air and let out one loud agonized roar. He staggered for a few moments before stabling himself once more and turned on the nearest person which happened this time to be Yuan as he was standing over Gemini, healing her. Lloyd sensed their vulnerability and swung his arm toward Yuan's head. The blue-haired half-elf saw the attack approaching but would not deviate from his task at hand. Instead he closed his eyes and braced for the impact, knowing that it might be the last thing he might do. Zelos sprang into action and sped to the rescue as he threw himself between the confrontation. Thrusting his shield before him, the red-haired man planted his face and was just in time to save the two half-elves. A loud clang rang through the air as he struggled against his friend's strength and looked up at him pleading, "Come on Bud. Snap out of it. I don't want to hurt you."

"Nngh…Kratos…Anna," Gemini wheezed as she opened her eyes. They were unfocused and clouded while her breathing consisted of sharp intakes of air. Yuan hastened to heal her wounds while Zelos bought them some time. Gemini however stared up at the sky, not seeing anything but the foggy images that were playing in her mind.

"Come on, Gemini…come on!" Yuan hissed not knowing whether he should finish healing her or bring Raine over to do it while he worked with Zelos to distract Lloyd. He didn't have long to think it over however because a certain pink-haired axe wielder ran forward and slammed her axe into the ground a few feet away from the mutated swordsman. Using the momentum she had built up, she propelled her body over the weapon and slammed into him with enough force to push Lloyd a yard away. Presea rolled away from him and stumbled in an attempt to get to her feet. However, Lloyd spun faster than she had anticipated and she was caught across the side by a glancing blow from his arm. Genis quickly rushed to her aid, but due to his unwillingness to cast a spell that would harm his friend, he was merely swatted away like an annoying bug without a second thought. Yuan grit his teeth while he was casting the healing spell and inwardly prayed to whatever being he could that Gemini would enter the fray once more. When it came to making hard decisions and knowing what to do when no one else did, Gemini was the perfect person to turn to. It was just when his hope was starting to plummet when he heard something that made him feel like he was a fool for being in doubt.

"Ugh…why do I feel like…I smacked into the Tower of Mana?" Gemini inquired as she slowly pushed herself into a sitting position and blinked away the fog in her eyes. It wasn't long before she was fully aware of her surroundings once again.

"Not the Tower of Mana, but something just as difficult to bring down," Yuan answered with a smirk before turning and preparing for battle with Lloyd. He dropped his weapon on the ground and unfurled his wings, preparing to distract Lloyd as well as he could without causing any harm to him. Zelos moved to join him and Lloyd did not respond to their actions with kindness.

"Oh hell," Gemini growled and dove away from where she had previously been resting. Mere seconds later both Zelos and Yuan were flung back into the exact spot she had been. Gemini leapt to her feet and held her stomach as she called out, "We can't hurt him or we might lose the chance to return him to normal. We restricted and our options are beginning to exhaust themselves here."

"Come back to me Lloyd!" Colette screamed drawing the mutated fighter's attention away from Presea. He froze in mid movement and his entire body seemed to…shift before he threw his arms in the air once again. Then he fell to his knees and the bulking figure hunched on the ground.

"What's…happening?" Lloyd's strained voice cut through the air, causing everyone's heart to lift half an inch. He moaned desperately and hunched even closer to the ground as he whispered desperately, Why? What am I? Why is this happening?"

"At the current moment you're like your mother and Marble just before they died," Gemini answered bluntly. She straightened up and ignored the painful twinge in her stomach as moved to stand before the mutated swordsman. She stared into his golden eye and lifted her head when she managed to catch sight of the real Lloyd deep within him. She saw it plain as day. He was not concerned in the slightest for his own safety, but that of everyone around him. That filled Gemini with hope that he could be returned to normal and she pushed on, "Yggdrasill being the cowardly bastard he is left you to kill us. Your Key Crest is gone and your exsphere has been dug into your hand. Not even Raine's healing arts can do anything right now. Our options at how to handle this are beginning to get very limited."

"How-" Lloyd began to ask when his body suddenly jerked. The swordsman reared up in the air, throwing his arms around uncontrollably and ended up catching Gemini square in her wounded stomach. Amazingly enough she held onto his arms and only her heels skid through the dirt as she clung to him with an iron grip. Gemini released her wings once again and stabilized herself to regain her strength. The struggled went on for a few moments before he drew himself under control once again. Then, something happened that made both Gem and Kratos' blood run cold. The words that Lloyd said next were full of such pain and sorrow it was like it drove daggers into the hearts of those that heard him, "Please…I'd rather die than hurt you guys… Please… just kill me…"

"Gem's eyes flew to Kratos, whose eyes were full of painful memories and he slowly sank to his knees, no longer moving. Gemini looked away and glared at her quivering arms as she shouted, "That's not an option! Kratos is out of this fight and we need a plan to get Lloyd under control! If we don't figure this out, this won't end well! Snap to people!"

"I have an idea to immobilize him! We'll need to cause superficial wounds across his arms and legs, but it'll temporarily shut down his ability to move," Yuan replied thoughtfully.

"That's pretty risky…but I don't hear any better ideas…It'll have to do," Zelos mused as he got to his feet and let his wings stretch.

"We have no other choice. We'll just have to be careful." Yuan said as he stepped forward with the red-haired swordsman. Lloyd lost control once again and this time was successful in throwing the female half-elf away from him. Gemini flipped in the air and used her wings to gently lower herself back to the ground. She landed right in front of the rest of the group and looked over her shoulder as she began to reach for her weapons, "Listen, I need all of you to stay back. It'll be easier for Zelos, Yuan and me to do this because of our wings. In the meantime I would ask that you keep Colette and Kratos safe and Sheena…I have something else that I need you to do."

The kunoichi moved closer to the silver-haired female and leaned forward while Gemini whispered frantically in her ear. Sheena nodded quickly and the confused look on her face turned to one of understanding. She stepped back and soon disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Gemini meanwhile moved forward to close a triangle formation around Lloyd.

"She'll get the job done and it'll be done right," Zelos said in an attempt to reassure his comrades. Gemini merely snorted.

"You better hope she gets it done fast or we'll all be dead before she gets back," Gemini growled as she began hovering in the air. Zelos and Yuan took that moment to lunge on the ground while the female dove in from above. With one swift kick to his chest, Gemini set Lloyd off balance just enough the Zelos and Yuan were able to leave shallow slashes across his arms and legs. The trio of fighters zipped back and forth, skirting just outside the mutated swordsman's reach while they threw halfhearted attacks at him. Lloyd, on the other hand, fought back at full force. At one point his arm shot out and grabbed Gem by her leg and swiftly used her as a club to slam Yuan in the side. Upon contact, he released her and it sent both of them soaring through the air until they slammed into a thick trunked tree. They fell to the ground and Gemini landed roughly on top of Yuan's chest. Both dazed and somewhat confused, Zelos was quick to divert his friend's attention to give them time to recover.

"Well, this is…fun," Yuan coughed as he pushed Gemini off of his diaphragm.

"Bundles of it," Gem responded as she allowed him to push her all the way off of him to roll onto the ground. As she rubbed the side of her body that had been thrust against her fellow comrade, Gemini watched as Zelos was weaving and bobbing between Lloyd's random, but powerfully accurate swings. Each impact with the ground would cause the dirt to crumbled and Zelos was struggling not to be caught off balance. Needless to say, he couldn't even gain the slightest advantage against his opponent.

"Well at least I'm improving my dancing skills!" Zelos laughed as he back flipped away from Lloyd. Seeing disaster close at hand, Gemini and Yuan both got to their feet to watch the scene unfold. Just as the red-head landed though, Lloyd swung and caught his friend right in the side. The ex-Chosen flew through the air and landed with a flinching thud on the ground. Amazing all in attendance, he soon pushed himself up on his elbows and laughed as he rubbed his bruised shoulder, "Well, I guess he didn't much like my style."

"Maybe he's more up for a tango!" Gemini roared as she flew straight into Lloyd's embrace. Using one of her chakram she left shallow slashes across both of his arms and this only infuriated him more. With one fluid motion he sent her skidding multiple times across the ground while Yuan darted forward to land a few scratches across his shoulders. Lloyd howled and attacked wildly in response but, his opponents were quick to get out of the way.

"How…how can they do this to him?! He's their friend too!" Genis asked in rage. He moved to stop them from harming Lloyd any further, but it was Colette who reached out to stop him.

"They have to Genis…This might be his only chance…and I can't lose him," the blonde whispered quietly as she turned to stare at the ground and sunk to her knees just as Kratos had done. Gemini saw this out of the corner of her eye as she got to her feet and a sense of urgency struck her in the chest.

"_Come on, Kratos! Move! Your family needs you!"_ Gemini roared at him telepathically. However, he just continued to sit there in what seemed to be a trance that could not be undone. The half-elf knew all too well the horror's that he was reliving and she knew that he would've given anything for it to be him instead of his son. Yggdrasill had hit where it hurt the most and she cursed him for it. Gem bit the bottom of her lip and called out, "Get back you two!" Just when Yuan and Zelos were safely out of harm's way, she charged straight in and wove between his two arms. As she stared into his golden eye, she placed her hands as the base of his shoulders and focused her mana as she called out, "Spark!"

The low powered spell began sparking all over his body and seeping straight to his nerves through the shallow cuts they had placed on him. Immediately the signals sent to move his limbs were blocked and he collapsed to the ground. Gemini fell to her knee as well as sweat began to drip down the side of her face. Soon she slowly stepped back from the swordsman and dared to think that the battle had come to a close. As she hooked the chakram firmly back on her hip and allowed herself to relax, Lloyd suddenly came to life once more and slammed her onto the ground with such force that it knocked the wind clean out of her. Gemini's back dug into the dirt ground as he continued to push her down and Lloyd drew back his other hand to deliver the final blow. Despite gasping for breath, Gemini smiled up at him and choked, "So…this is it, huh?"

"Lloyd! Please!" Colette screamed desperately as she jumped to her feet. Before anyone could stop her, the blonde had run up to the scene and thrust herself on the arm that was pinning Gemini to the ground and firmly put herself in the direct line of fire from his other attack. It seemed as though the situation would in fact play out for the worse and everyone seemed to freeze. It was then that two little voices rang through the air like a tolling bell. Colette's heart nearly stopped in her chest and a very wide grin as her eyes were alight with fire.

"Daddy! Mommy!" the childlike calls were clear and a cloud of smoke suddenly appeared at Kratos' side. Sheena emerged holding Liam and Luccia in her arms. Seeing the twins caused Lloyd to stop moving altogether and Kratos to jump to his feet.

Sensing the auburn-haired swordsman's sudden movement, Gemini lifted her head and shouted, "Get your ass in gear Kratos! We only have one shot at this!"

"Understood!" he called back as he was quickly at her side and gently pushing Colette from the scene. He looked back at the blonde and using only his eyes, told her to go back to her twins to protect them. Colette nodded and ran back to her children to wrap them in her loving embrace. In the meantime, Kratos was slowly, but surely pulling Lloyd's arm off of Gemini enough so that she could slip out from his grasp. The half-elf staggered to her feet before moving in closer to be mere inches from his chest.

"It's about time I draw you back from that dark abyss you've tumbled into," she whispered as she drew her hand before her and created an orb of green mana in the palm of her hand. Kratos drew back his own hand and created an orb of blue mana in his own hand. The two fighters looked at one another and nodded simultaneously. In one fluid motion, Kratos slammed the mana orb into the remains of Lloyd's Key Crest and Gemini slammed the other right into the middle of Lloyd's chest. On the instant the attacks made contact a blinding light erupted through the area and threw many of the group to the ground while causing them all to lose their sight. In that moment everything seemed to stop; sound, feeling, everything.

Then just as suddenly as it happened, it all stopped. The group opened their eyes and found themselves in a strange dimension that seemed to be made up of a white space devoid of any boundaries. They all gathered closer together and looked to see where Lloyd, Gemini, and Kratos had been standing. Out of the three, Kratos was alone, kneeling on the ground with one hand steadying himself and the other was holding his head. Lloyd and Gemini however, were nowhere to be seen. The others quickly joined the Seraph and Yuan coaxed the man to his feet while saying, "That was a bit of a risky plan, wouldn't you say?"

"While that may be true, what else did we have at our disposal to use?" Kratos replied shaking his head gingerly. They began to look around and needless to say, none could hide their confusion as to their current location.

"Does anyone have an idea as to where this is?" Regal asked turning around slowly.

"We can't be entirely sure. Gemini…well, she knows more about what people become after the exspheres take over the hosts body and after Anna…fell to this, she told me of a way that it could possibly be reversed if someone knows what they are doing. I can only assume that this is such a case," Kratos said as he looked over the twins in their mother's arms. Their wide little eyes were staring around in fear and he gently reached forward and caressed their little heads comforting. His dark eyes however, were searching the area, trying to find any sign of the half-elf in their surrounding area. What he did find however, was just as comforting.

"What…in the name of Martel?" a familiar voice asked from their side. Instantly Kratos locked on a pair of brown eyes and it wasn't long before everyone had caught sight of the red-clad twin swordsman. What relieved them was that he was no longer in his mutated form and instead seemed to be returned to normal. He looked shocked at this new development and was inspecting himself in disbelief. He raised his eyes once again and said, "How…how did this happen?"

"Oh Lloyd!" Colette cried as she ran to her husband and embraced him as tightly as she could while still juggling the children in her arms. Lloyd held onto his family and a few tears formed in the corners of his eyes. Colette merely sighed and looked at him as she said, "I thought I had lost you."

"Honestly…I was wasn't too sure about it myself," Lloyd laughed shakily.

"We can only thank Martel that you're alright. Now there's only one more dilemma that we have to work through…Lloyd do you know what happened to Gemini?" Raine asked as she began looking around carefully. Tension ran rampant through the group and many of their knuckles were white from how tightly they were gripping their weapons.

"I don't really know. I came to around the same time as you guys. You were all I saw," Lloyd answered as he broke the embrace with his wife and moved them closer to the middle of the group, where they would be safer if anything were to happen. Then he ran a hand through his hair and looked back to his father saying, "What do you think, dad?"

"I can't be sure…" Kratos trailed off as his eyes suddenly widened and the color drained from his face. The group was all quick to spin on their heels, expecting an enemy to be awaiting them, but the sight they beheld next was as equally terrifying.

The scene around them had begun to distort and change, now leaving them in the shadows of an alleyway that rested in a city that was in complete chaos. Buildings were in flames and the remains of shops were falling to the ground in shambles. Rubble littered the ground and screams filled the air. Townspeople ran in a disorganized mess of fear and at the heart of the town, cries for help from the burning buildings could be heard. Then from above, the enemies descended and the cause of the mayhem and destruction was clear. Cruxis Angels were indiscriminately striking down defenseless people and lashing out at the already crumbling buildings before them. A frightened man dove out of the path of an attack sent by an angel and howled, "Angels are supposed to protect us! Why have they come to destroy our peaceful town? What have we done to deserve such judgment?"

"Our sins have caught up with us! Judgment day is upon us!" a feeble old woman screamed as she was ushered out of a flaming inn by a terrified woman with her terrified, screaming infant in her arms. It was at that moment an ear piercing scream ripped through the air, effectively dulling out the sound of a large beam falling inside of the same inn. A blue blur burst through a third story window and landed mere feet away from the alley in which the company now stood. In the process of this entire event, no one had been able to speak, but it was at this moment that Kratos seemed to find his voice.

"This is a memory…" he choked as though he was unable to breathe. He turned his disbelieving eyes to those of his confused company as he continued, "This is the night that Anna and I last saw Gemini together…This was her final act of freedom."

"So those blue wings-" Zelos began but was unable to continue as the wings slowly gave way to a past Kratos hovering protectively over a woman with dark brown hair and eyes. This was undoubtedly Anna. Kratos quickly grabbed her wrist and pulled the woman toward the exit of the town while they both desperately scanned their surroundings, looking for something.

"Kratos! There he is! He got away from them!" Anna screamed through her tears as she pointed somewhere in front of them. Kratos' attention snapped to where she indicated and alarm flashed through his dark eyes. A small boy, no older than two, stood in the middle of the street, doing his best to dodge the frantic people that paid him little mind and all the while was crying out for his parents. Upon hearing Anna's voice he look over and saw them before reaching his arms out crying for the two of them.

"Lloyd!" Kratos called out to the boy as he ran forward but was suddenly caught square in the middle of his chest by the spear of an angel that had appeared. A dozen more angels quickly surrounded them and thrust the stunned parents against the crumbling wall of the inn, not allowing them a second chance to get to their son. Furious, Kratos brandished his weapon and without a second thought, sliced through four of them at once as he hissed, "Get out of my way!"

The other enemies descended on the swordsman and his wife while their son was knocked on his butt by a passing family. Tired and unable to understand all the chaos that was going on around him, Lloyd sat there on the ground and sniffled through his tears, "Mommy? Daddy?"

The boy rubbed his eyes and then noticed a shadow looming over him from behind. He slowly turned around and found himself face-to-face with a Dark Commander Angel. The enemy swiftly lifted his staff over his head and began to bring it down with one forceful swing. Kratos broke through the line of enemies that were keeping him at bay and with panicked tears beginning to form in the corner of his eyes he cried out, "Not my son!"

"Lloyd! Be a turtle!" ordered a commanding voice that rang from the side of the scene. The two year-old instantly obeyed and hit his knees while he curled into a little ball on the ground. A red blur barreled through a group of angels and sped toward the child from the side. The staff connected with the top of the blur and sent it sprawling across the ground after it snatched the small boy from the middle of the street. Together, they skid from the spot for a few feet before coming to a firm stop as a few feathers fell to the ground from a set of ruby red wings. Slowly the figure got to her feet, holding the young Lloyd close to her breast and flared her wings out threateningly, daring someone to oppose them. The female had sharp blood red eyes and chin length silver hair with red streaks. A large gash was bleeding profusely on the side of her cheek, but she hardly seemed to notice it as she assessed the condition of the child she now held tightly in her arms.

"Oh thank Martel! Gemini!" Anna praised in relief as her husband quickly dispatched the remaining enemies around them. Though Kratos was winded, he was calmer now that his child was no longer in mortal peril.

"That scar…it came from saving my life," Lloyd swallowed guiltily as he watched the memory continue to unfold right before his very eyes.

"Whatever happens, my little Lloydie, you always listen to your mommy and daddy, ok?" Gemini smiled through the pain and nuzzled the top of his head when he nodded obediently to her, "You're such a good boy. I promise when you get older, I'll take you to my favorite place where the wind and the trees make beautiful music that few people can hear."

"Gemmy?" he asked tilting his head to the side innocently. The female half-elf bit her lip.

"Don't ever change, little one. Ever," Gemini whispered as she cradled him closer to her body and wove through the unending chaos of stampeding people and crumbling buildings to stand at his parents' sides. As she gently put Lloyd in his mother's arms, she looked at Kratos and said, "I don't care if you feel like your legs are about to turn to jelly, take your family and don't stop running until you're so deep into Hima mountains, they couldn't hope to find you. And don't you dare look back."

"What about you?" Anna asked as she bit her lip stubbornly but was instantly chastised by the look she was given from Gemini.

"You two have your entire world to save. Now take him and run. I'll keep these fools at bay until then," Gemini growled as she turned to face the enemies as she drew her weapons in her hands.

"I will find a way to repay you someday Gemini…I swear," Kratos whispered as he wrapped his strong arms around his wife and son before taking to the sky. As they took flight, the half-elf was left to face off against the advancing swarm of angels. Gemini smirked somewhat and shook her head.

"I don't want you to pay me back you idiot…" Gemini threw her head back and laughed before smearing some of the blood pouring down her face away on the back of her hand. Her eyes flashed dangerously to the enemies before her and she said, "Come on you lifeless bastards! I'll take you all to hell with me!"

Just as she lunged into battle, the image began to dissipate and soon left the group standing in a blank, white area once again. At first no one could speak, that is until Lloyd turned to his father and asked, "What happened to her after that?"

"She allowed herself to be captured by the angel's after decimating enough of their numbers that they couldn't pursue your parents Lloyd. She bought as much time as she could for them to run and then gave up to Yggdrasill," Yuan said as Kratos closed his eyes and shook his head. Everyone sucked in a tight breath as he continued, "I was there when the angels dragged her in, half dead and bleeding. Yggdrasill was so angry that he refused to even heal her and when she was finally able to rouse herself…he tortured her. All he wanted to know what where Kratos was and if she had told him, she would've been spared…but she never said a single word and I was forced to watch while Yggdrasill…practically tore her emotions and mind apart."

"Gemini began to care about the world again when you were born, Lloyd. You showed her that this world still had innocence and meaning…"

"A lot of good that did…" Lloyd muttered as his body began to shake in frustration. He tightly clenched his fists and shook his head as he shouted, "Damn it, look what happened! I became something that kills and has no control over itself! I attacked her! Tell me where that innocence went now!"

With his surge of anger, Lloyd's body gave a sudden jerk and he held his head. His skin began to move and mutate once more as they found the realm around them giving way back to the reality they once knew. The twin swordsman fell to his knees and he called out in pain as his body and mind began to slip away from him once more. It was then that Gemini reappeared. Her wings unfurled around her as she teleported to kneel right behind the swordsman and wrapped her arms around him in a gentle hug. Reaching out one hand, she gently placed it on his damaged Key Crest and said, "That innocence is still there, Lloyd. You continue to prove that every day."

A calming blue surge of mana surrounded them and soon, the swordsman fell back in her arms, completely unconscious. The mutation that originally turned him into an Exbelua was gone and all that was left, was his weakened body, clinging to the life that he had fought so long and hard for. The twins began to scream and cry for their father while Gemini slowly got to her feet, holding the swordsman close to her as she moved. Her angelic strength made it seem as though Lloyd was nothing more than a child, once more resting in the arms of a caretaker that had worked so hard to keep him safe all those years ago. The half-elf raised her eyes at the people before her and said, "We don't have much time. There's still a chance of saving him, but I'll need the skills of both Dirk and Altessa to help me do it. I've only used my skills on Cruxis Angels in the past that had long since given up their humanity. I dare not put his humanity at stake."

"Understood. I shall fetch Altessa. The rest of you will get back to Dirk's in the meantime…Gemini…please keep him safe," Kratos said as he suddenly turned on heel and flew into the air.

"Someone should go with him. Just to make sure he'll be alright. You never know if Yggdrasill is going to try and pull something," Sheena said worriedly as she looked over at Yuan who nodded in agreement, but they were further surprised when it was Zelos who stepped forward and put a hand on his wife's shoulder.

"I owe Bud not only my life, but I owe him for giving me a chance to have everything I could ever hope for. You all watch out for him and I'll keep tabs on his old man," the ex-Chosen said before he placed a small kiss on Sheena's cheek. Then he shot into the air as well and was hot on Kratos' trail. While the rest of the group moved to get Lloyd back to Dirk's house, Zelos pushed his wings to their absolute limit to even catch up to Kratos. The wind whistled past his ears as he flew and soon Zelos was within hearing range of the older Seraph. Not sure how to phrase his next question, Zelos was quiet for a few moments. After pulling together a bit of courage he called out, "Do you think they'll be able to bring him back?"

"I can't afford to think anything else," was the simple reply.

"Heh…I hope one day I can be half the father to Sye as you are to Lloyd," Zelos muttered half-way under his breath. Kratos faintly heard his words and allowed the smallest of smiles to reach his lips before pushing himself even faster toward the objective ahead of him.

_-Dirk/Lloyd's House-_

Gemini slowly ascended the stairs to the room in which Lloyd was currently resting. When they had arrived back at the house, she had forced everyone to remain downstairs while she had used some magic she had learned as part of Cruxis to control the Exbeluas unstable form as well as the raw power that was exuding from his damaged Key Crest. It would force the swordsman to remain in sleeping state until the source of the problem was fixed. Once she had done that, she placed a few more protective spells over the house itself and then allowed the people she now called her friends to move about freely. For a while, they all held a silent vigil in the swordsman's room while Gemini remained downstairs distracting all of the children. When they could no longer handle it and began to migrate downstairs, she was quick to make the suggestion that perhaps they all should eat something.

It was in the midst of their eating that she had noticed Colette go upstairs once again to be in her husband's presence and after excusing herself, Gemini moved to follow her. As soon as she made her way up the stairs, she quickly saw the blonde sitting in the chair beside the bed resting her head on his uninjured hand, muttering a prayer. Out of respect, the half-elf didn't say a word until the blonde slowly raised her head and said, "How much longer do you think it will be before they bring Altessa here?"

"Not too much longer. However, my spells and mana could keep him in this stable state for at least three more days. We will bring him back Colette. I promise you that," Gemini said as she walked over to the female and knelt beside her on the floor. The blonde's weary blue eyes looked down on Gemini's red ones as the half-elf continued, "Perhaps it would be a good thing for you to try and get some sleep now. Regain your strength."

"I can't just leave him…he needs me," she stammered quietly at a loss of what to do.

"Your children need you too Colette and you're useless to them if you are running on no energy. You're not betraying him nor are you abandoning him by getting some rest. You must understand that. Please…"

Colette slowly raised her head and looked over Lloyd's sleeping face. If she hadn't been there for the terrible ordeal that had reduced him to such a state, she would've never believed what had happened. Yet she had seen what had happened and she felt as though she was about to collapse. So, finally she nodded and said, "You're right…Thank you Gemini."

They both got to their feet and Colette drew the half-elf into a tight hug. Needless to say, Gemini was completely caught off guard and was unsure of how to react at first, but in the end decided to just hug the other female in return. Soon, Colette made her way downstairs and Gemini took her place in the chair beside the bed. She looked over the swordsman as he laid on the bed and ran a hand through her hair distantly. She thought back on the memory she had allowed them to witness in order to draw Lloyd back from the brink of insanity. Thus that memory brought even more back to her and Gemini was remembering all the times she had spent with Lloyd and his family after his birth. She smiled faintly and shook her head.

"You always were one for trouble, Lloyd. Frankly, I'm inclined to believe you got that more from your mother's side of the family than your father's…she was quite the handful too you know…That woman certainly kept me on my toes at least. It won't be much longer before we get you up and moving on your feet again…but unfortunately…I don't know how much longer I will be able to stay with you…my time is running out…" Sadness filled her dark eyes and Gemini bowed her head as a single tear slid down the side of her face following the line of the scar on her cheek.

She didn't know how long she had been sitting there, but the female nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard the door fly open downstairs. After shaking the daze from her mind, Gemini dashed over to the stairs and jumped them two at a time to see that Kratos and Zelos had fulfilled their part of the job and were showing Altessa the way into the house. Zelos held a rather large bundle of tools in his arms and Altessa was fishing something out of the small bag he had slung around his own shoulders. Gemini smiled in relief and before anything else could said, she drew Altessa's attention on her, "It's good seeing you again outside of Cruxis' reign, Altessa."

The dwarf lifted his head and a flash of a smile shot through his eyes. However he brushed the pleasantries aside and said, "Same to you, Gemini. I have gotten the rest of the supplies that we will need. Is he upstairs?"

"Yes. Come up this way. Dirk we'll need your help too. Let's get to work," Gemini said as she moved to take the bundle of tools from Zelos' arms. As she moved, Dirk swept a few things off of the table before him and the three quickly shuffled up the stairs and closed the door behind them. It was quiet after their departure and the air was tense.

"So what do we do now?" Genis asked lifting his gaze to Colette who was sitting on the couch with both of the twins sleeping gently in her arms. She too seemed close to falling asleep as well. Ula and Sye had been wrapped in a couple of spare blankets and were currently asleep on either side of her as well. Yuan and Raine were pouring over some books that he had retrieved from the Renegade base. Sheena had greeted her husband with a tight embrace while Regal, Presea, and Kratos were standing near the front door as they inspected the scene before them. It was Kratos who replied.

"Now…we wait."

_-Chapter End-_

**Well, I hope everyone liked that chapter. I have to say I'm enjoying this rewrite. So much better than the original and full of so much more potential. Welp, I'll be see you in the next chapter then. See you then.**


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